Look to God and Live… Joyfully!

Every Sunday during church I get a notification on my phone that my garage door was left open. This occurs about 2/3 of the way through the meeting and since that notification normally shows up after ten minutes of the door being left open, I know that I wasn’t the one to do so. The truth is, the door was opened by Sunny, my Miniature Australian Shepherd. Sunny gets so anxious for me to come home that she literally opens the door from the house to the garage. When I finally pull up and open the big garage door, she comes running out the door, down the steps, and starts herding my car. It is one of the rare times that she ever barks. She jumps up and down and demands that I get out of the car and give her her much desired pats. It is absolutely adorable. And absolutely terrifying if there are cars behind me! But let’s focus on the adorable part for now.

I was thinking about this the other day when I was sitting in church and the phone notification popped up. It got me thinking about how grateful I was to have someone so excited to see me. I then started wondering about who I am so grateful to see. Who am I anxiously awaiting? Since I was sitting in church, it was inevitable that I would turn my thoughts to my Savior. How anxious am I for His second coming? How anxious am I to see Him? Is my excitement to the level of Sunny waiting me whenever I am gone?

I have been blessed in life. Very very blessed. Those blessings can make it so that I focus more on the things of this life instead of things pertaining to eternity. I get bogged down in life’s details to the point that I can go vast amounts of time without consciously thinking about Christ’s second coming. Yet the scriptures talk about the need for us to be ready. Not only ready, but we are to be anxiously engaged in becoming ready. Christ is standing at the door and knocking, and I’m not sure I’m ready to open the door! I’m still in my nightgown, hair not done and makeup not on, moving slowly through my morning routine. There is no way I’m going to open the door when I hear a knock!

I like to cite the scripture, “yea, come quickly, Lord” from the Book of Revelation, but I’m not sure I’m putting the effort into ensuring that should He indeed come quickly that I would be prepared. What would I do differently if I was anxiously preparing? I definitely don’t think I’d quit enjoying life in the here and now, for we’re here on earth to experience the good and the bad and to feel joy. I do think, however, that I would put more time into studying the word of God, that I’d pray more fervently, that I’d work harder to develop the gift of charity. I would be quicker to give thanks to Him who is the author of all blessings and slower to offer up complaints. I would nurture relationships and treat all people as children of God instead of occasionally finding them to be mere annoyances to be endured. I’d look to the big picture and not get caught up in the thick of thin things. I might be on the covenant path, but I am dilly-dallying my way instead of heading forward with purpose. There is much I could do to be more anxiously preparing.

Several years ago I wrote a song entitled, When Jesus Comes Again. The lyrics go thus:

The prophets have long told us that Christ will come again.
In glory and in splendor to rule among all men.
In triumph He will then descend to gather to His side
All those who’ve proven worthy to be the Holy Bride.

The people who will greet Him, those of Abr’hams seed,
Are those who kept the cov’nant that they had once received.
They stand in holy places, they will not be removed,
But they trust in His promise, their faithfulness they’ve proved.

When Jesus Comes again, will I be prepared,
To kneel before His feet and worship Him in prayer?
When Jesus comes again, will I look in His face,
And feel to sing the song of everlasting grace?

When Jesus will return, His chosen He will call
To witness to all nations, salvation from the fall
They’ll see the tokens in His hands, the marks upon His feet,
And they will taste forever the fruit that is so sweet.

Then in His holy city, all will know His peace.
With no poor and no needy, at Christ’s table they will feast.
They’ll know the love of Jesus, they’ll feel His warm embrace,
And with the saints and angels they’ll shout their hymns of praise.

When Jesus Comes again, will I be prepared,
To kneel before His feet and worship Him in prayer?
When Jesus comes again, will I look in His face,
And feel to sing the song of everlasting grace?
When Jesus comes! When Jesus comes!

Oh, Lord Jesus, come!
Come and let me see.
See thy holy face.
Let me worship thee
Come! Oh, come!

Watching Sunny’s enthusiasm for my homecoming every time I’m gone for even the shortest amount has really made me recognize my own lackadaisical and blasé attitude of late. I can do better. Maybe I’ll never herd the eternal chariot, but at least I can be anxious enough to be looking out the door and ready to race to greet Him when He comes.