Ready... Set...

The second week in September always finds me in a contemplative mind set.

This is the week during which Mother and I used to celebrate her birthday.

It is also the week that marks the anniversary of the September 11th attacks on America.

This year my contemplation turns to readiness.

In particular, one’s spiritual readiness.

The readiness to close one’s eyes in this world and open them in the next.

Mother and I had a wonderful relationship and I am indebted to her for a great many things.

Of course, I am indebted to her for bringing me into this world, for raising me and for loving me.

Beyond this, I am indebted to her for establishing a foundation of faith within me.

A foundation on which I continue to build upon today with confidence.

When I was a child, she taught me with kind and loving words.

In her later years, her arthritis became ever more debilitating and our roles reversed themselves.

She began to depend on me more and more.

It was then that she taught me by example.

As time went by, she was able to do less and less because the physical pain she endured grew more and more.

In spite of that, her love of the Lord and her trust in Him grew deeper with each passing day.

Even though she left world quite suddenly, I know that she was prepared spiritually.

As I thought on these things, my thoughts turned to those who lost their lives in the September 11th attacks eleven years ago,

All were simply pursuing their daily routines.

Suddenly, in a heartbeat, everything changed.

Some died instantly.

Some moments later.

Others, while attempting rescue.

I cannot help but wonder...

Of the many that lost their lives on what began as just an otherwise bright, sunny, routine day in September, how many were not spiritually ready?

How many had not yet come to know Jesus as their savior?

After you ponder that, take a moment to ask yourself a very important question.

"If my time on earth ran out today, would I be ready to close my eyes in this world and open them in the next?"

If your answer to that question is anything but "Yes", there is still hope.

That hope is in Jesus Christ.

John 3:16-17 (KJV) - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Neither Mother nor I expected her last day on earth to be just that.

But, as believers, we both knew her last day on earth would not be her last day.

We knew this because of Jesus Christ and the faith we have in Him.



Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 21, 2012.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, September 28, 2012.

Schedule subject to change.