Our family has lived through a very hectic year. My wife has been finishing her graduate degree while working for the school system. Our son has been off at college and is now home working full time in a summer job. Our daughter has gone to several camps to prepare herself spiritually and physically to enter high school. In addition to my normal preaching ministry and HEARTLIGHT, I’ve been blessed to go on a number of long trips this year. It’s been busy!

    Life blows by at blinding pace for everybody in our family, but when you put our schedules all together, it feels like we’re trying to put up wallpaper in a tornado. There’s always so much to do, so many places to go, and so many things to keep up with. That’s why I love the cartoon one of my friends gave me.

“If God gives each of us just enough jobs to finish in our lifetime, then I guess I’m going to live to be 150.”

    But I’ve noticed time and time again that when I get ready to take a trip, a miracle happens. I get nearly everything accomplished on an impossible to do list!

When I get ready to take a trip, a miracle happens.

    Why are those two days right before a trip so productive?

    I sit down and decide what is absolutely essential to accomplish and what would be disastrous to leave undone. I prayerfully decide which task to do first. Then I start doing them.

    I am amazed at everything that gets done on eve of a big trip using this simple three step plan under the pressure of knowing that I’m leaving soon!

    What would happen if Christians all around the world would reawaken to Jesus’ imminent return? That’s how the early Christians lived! Living with a sense of expectancy and urgency, we would understand what is most important, we would prayerfully decide what to do next, and we’d start doing it. We would live everyday of our Christian lives like we were leaving on a big trip the next day! Think of the passion and excitement that would infuse our lives in Christ!

    Jesus, and other New Testament prophets and teachers, encouraged the early Christians to realize they actually were leaving soon. They weren’t sure when — in fact, Jesus said they couldn’t know exactly. In fact, he said he didn’t know the day or the hour, only the Father did. But they did know it was going to happen soon, so they got busy, and the next thing you know, they had turned their world upside down.

    Why can’t we? After all, we’re leaving soon, too!

    One of the last things said by Jesus in Scripture are the following words: “I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done.” (Revelation 22:12)

    Sounds like I’m leaving soon, so I guess I’d better get busy!