Dedication to Preparation

My hands are full. I’m trying to close the door to my car while balancing two boxes. My dad is nearby, shoveling the walkway.

“Let me help you with those,” he says. He grabs both boxes and looks at their labels. “Bike gear?” he asks.

“Pedals and shoes,” I say. We walk toward the house together.

“You know that it’s February, right?” he asks. He stamps the snow from his boots on the doormat.

I smile. “I know, I know,” I say. “I just want to be ready for cycling season.”

He laughs. “I think you started prepping around the time you hung up your bike last fall.” He hands me back the boxes. “In all honesty, I admire your commitment to preparation.”

His words resonate inside of me. I’m ready for cycling season. As soon as the warm weather comes, I’ll hit the road.

But I’m not living the rest of my life with the same level of preparation.

I know that Christ will return someday. And I know this life is an opportunity to prepare for His coming. It’s a chance to share the Gospel with those around me. But a lot of the time, I act like this world is the end-all be-all. I live for myself instead of my Savior. Instead of building His kingdom and reaching others, I stay in my comfort zone and focus on my own happiness.

When Jesus returns, my chance to prepare will be over. I don’t want to be caught off-guard. I don’t want to have missed the opportunity to share the Christ with others.

So I set my boxes down on the floor of the entryway and say a silent prayer: Jesus, help me to live for others the way that You did. And help me to use my time in this life to prepare for the next one.