My publisher made a promo video this week for my book that's releasing soon. The
book is called HIGH HEELS IN HIGH PLACES so we shot the video--are you ready for
this--in a shoe store! Can you imagine? Shoe shopping! And it was all for "the
cause."
Two days before we shot the video, I told my husband that it was finally time to
get ready for it. I said something like, "Okay, now I need to lose 20 pounds in
two days. Think that's going to be a problem?"
Guess what. It was. After all, you can definitely call it a problem, can't you,
when the skirt you're planning to wear will only fit on one thigh at a time? A
discipline person would've started the weight-loss project a few months before.
And actually, I did. It's just that someone sent over a huge, exceptionally
gorgeous chocolate cake. That's when I decided that the weight loss plans were
"to be continued." After the chocolate cake came a buffet with my name on it.
Then there was that cheesecake. Before I knew it, there was no time left for
doing my "continuing." Last-minute readying doesn't work when there’s a
20-pound surplus of "to be continueds."
I hope I never catch myself "readying" in the same way for Jesus' coming. Do you
know what 1 John 2:28 instructs me to do? Continue! "And now, dear children,
continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed
before him at his coming." (NIV). These are instructions not to continue in
trying to lose weight, or trying to live right even. They are instructions to
continue "in him." The verse right before this one says that we are to "remain
in him."
Thinking about Jesus' return can be such a great encouragement to remain in
tight and continuing fellowship with him. Obeying him, communicating with him in
prayer, reading his Word, serving him, loving him whole-heartedly--that's how we
"continue in him." That's the way to live a fulfilling life. All cheesecake
issues aside, it's a life that we don't have to be embarrassed about when we
hear the trumpet.
And being ready for his return is eternally more important than anything else
we'll every get ready for.
Rhonda Rhea rrhea@juno.com
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