Be Prepared!

Getting excited for the new baby!  It's a boy!

Well, it’s a boy!  That was the big news in our house this week!  Kira had an ultra sound and the doctor said everything looks great. However, just to make things a little more interesting, we had the doctor write the gender of the baby down and put that in an envelope.  Then we gave the envelope to a friend who would make us either a blue cake or a pink cake.;. Then we just had to throw a party, cut the cake, and enjoy the surprise... It's a boy!

Right now, everything is pretty amazing. However, there are times when reality sets in and I realize I have a lot to figure out in just a few short months.  It seems like every day my wife and I are reminded of something else that needs to get taken care of.  We’re excited, but we also wonder… are we prepared?

The scripture we are looking at this week is all about preparation. (Sometimes I feel like these verses were chosen just for me!)  We are reading from chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew, the parable of the 10 bridesmaids.  At the end of the story, Jesus warns everyone to Keep Awake, or Be Prepared!  I think this story is a good reminder for me, because it’s not just a parable about being prepared for all of these worldly things.  I think this parable is really asking us if we are prepared spiritually… God is offering us an amazing and abundant life.  We don’t want to miss out on opportunities that bring God’s grace, hope, and love into this world.  Being prepared spiritually is different than being prepared for daily living.  There are always things to worry about, and there will always be things that I will forget about and mess up on.  (Personally, I know I spend hours each day dwelling on these things…) However, I know I am being called to open my eyes to what truly matters.  I think that is what Christ is saying to me this week.  Yes, there is a lot of stuff to worry about, but I need to take time to see what is really important.  It is my hope and prayer that we would all take a little extra time to prepare for what really matters.  Can we take just a little more time this week to pray, open our hearts, and ponder what God is doing in this world?  God is offering us each so much more… if we just take the time to notice.

Blessings!

Pastor Brian