Build and Prepare

Visiting Nanjing I experienced many things that will stay with me for the rest of my life. As with anything, some were positive, some negative, some beautiful, some heartbreaking, and some just worth sitting and thinking about for a while. One of the more simple yet profound memories I had was the amount of construction that I saw ... everywhere! Building after building was going up, in and out of the cities. The reason is hardly surprising as with a growing country in an absolute economic explosion, there is much demand for growth as people and businesses migrate to the city.

They are preparing. They are building.

Regarding John the Baptist ...

And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:16-17 ESV)

... to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.

Am I prepared? Am I preparing? ... or am I just waiting?

Pastor and author Rick Warren recounted his father's dying words ...

As Warren's dad seemed about to succumb, he shot up and struggled to get out of bed, repeating, "Got to save one more for Jesus!" nearly a hundred times; in his dying hour, he turned it into a directive to his son: "Save one more for Jesus!"

The desire to do more for Christ should never be followed by guilt, but the thought that I've done enough for Christ should never be in my heart either. May I continue to draw from Him, Scripture, and other passionate followers, and may we spur eachother on as we have much work to do.

Let us never forget that this 'work', is not a burden, and His 'yoke' that we put on ourself is always light. If it feels heavy, and the joy of living is seemingly overtaken by His 'tasks' that we try to accomplish, we're doing it wrong.

I will prepare.
I will build.
I will work.

And all the while I will rest in Him ...

~Matthew