Last week, we decided
it was time to refinance our home.  The rates are too low and the savings
too great to ignore how substantial the benefits will be in the end.  So
we started the process, we spoke with our consultant, and we organized what was
needed to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. 

As we filled out the
application and got the ball rolling, we knew there were deadlines we needed to
meet.  Our consultant had prepared us for what was needed, but either I
did not ask enough questions or he made too many assumptions about what I
already knew about the process.  So as I hit the submit button, last
Thursday night, there were many things we actually were not prepared for. 
We needed W2’s, paycheck stubs, and numerous other documents submitted. 
Knowing there was a deadline to meet, we put everything else on hold and
scrambled to find all the necessary paperwork.  It was stressful, I felt
panicked, and something that was going to be so wonderful in the end, felt
ruined by the lack of preparation and pressure to get it done.

Is there something
else in our life that is too amazing to ignore?  Are the benefits so
wonderful, the glory so great, and the peace so fulfilling that we need to be
prepared for what comes in the end?  If we have not done so already, do we
need to start the process, speak with our consultant, and organize what is
needed to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity?

The answer to all
these questions is a resounding yes!  What is waiting in the end is too
precious to ignore the work needed to get to the finish line.  We need to
open our bibles and understand the messages God has put before us.  We
need to help those less fortunate.  We need to take care of one another,
love without boundaries, forgive, and be gracious.  We need to show
thanks, gratitude, and pray when the waters are calm.  We need to stand
tall, ask for help, and pray when the storms seem like they will sweep us
away.  And we need to  help others become prepared for this glorious
end so they too can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

There is a deadline
that needs to be met.  Unlike the refinance scenario above, we are not
sure of when that deadline will come.  But if we are not prepared, if we
have not allowed God to take control of our lives, and we have not helped
others to find Christ, we run the risk of missing out on this amazing
end.  My friends, it is time to put everything else on hold.  It is
time to let go of the distractions that keep us from God and that keep us from
fulfilling his mission for our lives.  It does not need to be stressful
and we do not need to feel panicked.  But we do need to be prepared, we do
need to act with urgency, and we do need to follow God’s guidance.  That
end will come, those gates will open, and everything will be revealed. 
Let’s make sure we are prepared this Advent season, and let’s make sure we do
not make any assumptions about what others know.  It will take some work, it
will take some convincing, and it will take some persistence to do our best to
get everyone ready.  Because what is waiting for all of us is too precious
to ignore!