An ear-splitting boom thundered above.
Startled, my husband stopped talking mid-sentence. Others around us froze in their tracks. Simultaneously, heads turned skyward, searching for the source of the blast. Cries of amazement rang out, and fingers pointed as an object emerged through the clouds. A space shuttle descended for a landing at the Kennedy Space Center.
Despite our awareness of the impending arrival, everyone jumped at the boom, announcing the space vehicle’s grand appearance. Before that point, we had been distracted by informational displays on the ground. Our attention centered on things around us, not what was going on in the sky. But our focus changed with one deafening blast.
With such a momentous event about to occur, how could we Space Center visitors have been so distracted from the event we had come to see? Although we anticipated the shuttle’s arrival, we were not ready for it.
Those present for the shuttle’s landing that day mimic many believers. Christians know Jesus is coming again. His return will resemble a shuttle landing. He will appear in the clouds, accompanied by a loud sound—trumpets rather than a sonic boom.
But knowing Christ will return and preparing for that event are two different things. If we are so caught up in what goes on in our lives, we will be caught off guard when He appears.
Jesus instructed us to watch for His return. Unlike a space shuttle, we do not know what day He will return, but His command requires active looking and readiness, not general anticipation.
Be prepared for Jesus’ emergence in the clouds by prioritizing spiritual, rather than earthly, concerns.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Alice H. Murray is a Florida adoption attorney by profession and a writer by passion. Alice writes a weekly blog, has had three pieces published in the compilation work Short And Sweet Series, and is a staff writer for www.adoption.com.