Are you prepared to encounter Jesus?

Have you been preparing for days for the storm that is upon us today? Since mid-week, all eyes have been watching the weather, kids (and teachers) wanting snow days, people busy buying every imaginable thing at the store, and prepping supplies for power outages. Right now, I am as ready as I am ever going to be for whatever weather event happens in the next few days.

I’m sure you are wondering where I am going. I’ll tell you. I have observed the craziness in stores and on the roads the past few days. Everyone ‘hurries up’ to be ready. So, we may be ready for a storm, but are we ready for Jesus? Are we preparing our souls as conscientiously as we have been stocking our houses?

This week in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is calling men to follow him. He asks them to come and they leave what they are doing and go and eventually spread his message. I wonder if Jesus suddenly appeared if I would readily go. I want to say yes. I take time to pray each day, go to a Bible study, and attempt to let God’s light shine through me to others. In the moment they were called, I wonder if the disciples were scared or if they understood what was happening.

The advice from a homily I heard was to ‘get to know God’ and that the way to do that is to read his word. (aka- read the Bible every day). I have heard this advice before as I am sure you have, but I don’t read my Bible every day. The Bible doesn’t always make sense when I read it, but maybe it’s because I’m not ready yet for what it has to say.

Perhaps when the world is quiet in the next few days, I will make sure to read a chapter or two to prepare my heart and soul for the encounter that is coming someday. Maybe as we pause normal life for snow and ice, we can also pause to spend time with our Lord.