It is Saturday, the sun is shining and Bodi and I are hanging out at the house. Micah left in the wee hours of the morning for work and will not return until dark. The whole day is ahead of us, full of empty time waiting to be embraced.
What to do... what to do....
I miss Micah, I await his return with eagerness, but the hours will tick by wasted if I simply sit by the door and stare at the clock. There is work to be done. There are things to accomplish in the waiting. I have dishes to do, meals to prep, a house to clean, a dog to walk, friends to invest in, laundry to fold. I must be a good steward of what I have been given.
But, while I work I do not lose sight of the end. The time when the clock strikes 7pm and Micah will walk through the door into our home. Excited, Bodi and I will great Him with kisses and love. A hot meal simmering on the stove in preparation for his return.
My husband is home.
I grew up in a Christian home and from a young age I learned that my Savior, Jesus, walked the earth before ascending into heaven to join His Father. Soon, He will return to earth and those in relationship with Him, His church, His bride, will join Him in eternity.
John 14:3, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."
This is some exciting news! Christians have long awaited Jesus' return, awaited the day we get to go home. But, being young and human, naturally I had some reservations. Conflicting emotions bubbling up when I thought about this day. Of course I wanted to leave earth and join my Father in heaven, but I also longed to graduate college, get married, start a family, and grow old with the one I love. And with the timing of His return to uncertain [Matthew 24:36] I originally felt some sadness about missing these big milestones.
However, as I aged and learned more about the reality of this world, deepened my relationship with Christ, and found a new perspective, the sadness was replaced with pure joy and excitement. The longings never fully dissipating, but the understanding that eternity will be so much better than anything earth could offer allowed me to hold these desires with an open hand.
Philippians 3:20, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."
My first love is Jesus, everything else pales in comparison.
So I found myself in the waiting period, Jesus had left earth some time ago, and soon would return. I knew I needed to be ready. Matthew 24:42-44 says "Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." But I didn't think God intended waiting to mean sitting on the floor and watching the clock tick down.
Waiting was not meant to be a period of passivity but activity. And marriage gave me a clear example of that.
I am ready when Micah gets home - I have the house prepared, I have dinner going, I am at the door as soon as his key hits the lock.
Similarly we should be ready and prepared for Christ's return. This is evidenced by many parables and verses in scripture:
Luke 12:36 "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks."
Matthew 25:10 "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut."
Luke 12:35 "Be dressed in readiness and keep your lamps lit."
1 Thessalonians 5:6 "So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober."
You get the gist. It is wise to be ready, to know and pay attention to the sign of the times. To be alert and not sleep the days away in ignorant bliss.
But, in the waiting, while we have an eye on the metaphorical clock, we also have work to do on this planet God gifted to us.
We have a responsibility to take care of the earth and wisely exert our dominion over it.
Genesis 1:28 "Then God blessed them. And God said to them,'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Psalm 8:6-8 "You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
We have been given a great commission to spread the news of God and His kingdom far and wide.
Matthew 26:18-20 "Then Jesus came to them and said,'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the every end of the age."
Acts 1:8 "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
And we are to spend every day growing more in likeness to Him and stewarding the blessings and gifts we have been given.
Matthew 25:14-30 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver[a] to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together![b]’ “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back. “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The return of the Lord is coming soon - what soon means only God really knows - do not waste the days you have been given. Live for the Lord, embrace the tasks and responsibilities you have been given. The pleasures of this world are great but temporary. The treasures of heaven are majestic and eternal.
Steward your time and talents wisely. Step out in faith. Embrace your God given purpose. Be active in your waiting.
Live to hear those words, well done my good and faithful servant.
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