Making Amends

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

An old friend called me today. I never did pick the phone up because I was too scared but more importantly, I was in class. I broke my friendship off with my friend back in March/April after receiving a phone call from him telling me things that would change my life forever. At the time, I was not ready to hear that my best friend was gay. I was not ready to talk about it. I was not ready for my life to be completely turned upside down but it happened in a split second. I didn't know what to say other than asking God to give me the strength to know what to say. Some things I said just came out and I wish I never said them. Promises I couldn't keep at the time.

I have been battling a lot since this has happened and my spiritual life has been affected because of it, sadly. I knew that I was not letting God handle my life and I have been miserable. Yet, God knows what He is doing. I am glad I have gone through trials not because I wanted to be far from God but it was good for me to realize how much I NEED Him! What a blessing! God's timing couldn't be better since I was chatting with a very good friend of mine a few days ago on Facebook. She asked me how I was doing spiritually and I told her I was doing OK but I really needed to be closer to God. She proceeded to tell me what she did to get herself closer to God. It was tough, just like working out every days, she disciplined herself by cleaning up her music, speech, movies, and lifestyle. She took the time that she spent on other things and read the Bible instead. This really put me in my place. I really have been examining myself as of late after this. Then, today, my friend called which was honestly perfect timing.

Now, it is time for me to make things right with my friend. I do not agree with his lifestyle and he knows this but he also knows that God loves him no matter what he does in his lifetime. I don't know what will happen after our meeting whether our friendship will be rekindled, whether he gets right with God and his family or he continues on with his life. I need a lot of prayer about decisions ahead because it is a big one so I would ask you to pray for me. All in all, like I said, I am very happy this happened. It's not fun, it's scary to go into the unknown but God will get me through this. He allowed everything to work together for good and I know He will continue to do so. 

Be Prepared

Man, I have been busy busy busy! Between me being engaged, school, landing a job at another hospital, family time, and trying to squeeze in fishing, my life is pretty hectic. Something that has been a common theme not only in my personal life but also in church. The theme has been being ready for Jesus to come.

My Dad always wants to be prepared for anything. He has a BOB or bug out bag with a lot of essentials that if you do need to literally get out of the house in 5 minutes or less this is what you grab. He and I have exchanged ideas about what should be in the bag and what I should put in my own from fishing gear to space blankets and food. Very simple yet very crucial elements to survive. It's almost like planning a wedding! Oh no. ; )

Seriously, I don't know why but Christ's coming again has been on my mind quite frequently as of late. Not that it's a bad thing but it really got me thinking: am I prepared for His coming? I was humming a song called, "Are You Ready for the Trumpet?" a few days ago. You can find a Youtube video here. It really is a very powerful song. The lyrics are as follows:

Verse 1
The hour is approaching when the souls of man will hear
A mighty shout resounding in the sky.
In power and great glory, King Jesus will appear
And take His children home to paradise.
It will be a celebration for the ones who chose His name
But total separation for the ones who turned away.

Chorus:
Are you ready for the trumpet, are you ready for the call?
Soon the angels will assemble to usher in the Son of God.
Will He come and find you faithful, will He know your name at all?
Every moment brings us closer, are you ready for the call?

Verse 2
The Bible speaks of two men who were standing in the field
Where one is taken and one is left behind.
Two women in the kitchen, one goes and one remains
So get your house in order while there's time
In the cross there is salvation,
through the Blood there is a way
To secure your destination on resurrection day.

Verse 3
There's an urgency to reach the world
We have no time to waste
For within the heart of mortal man
This very question is now made

Man! It gets me all excited just hearing the lyrics and reading them again! : ) I know we are all familiar with the Bible verses that talk about Christ's second coming from 1 Thessalonians 4 to the Parables in Matthew 24 and 25. There are many more verses and passages of scripture that reference and also encourage us to be ready and always watching for the Second Coming. I know this isn't a lot of meat in this post but this has a lot of meaning behind it. What would you do differently if you knew that Christ was coming tomorrow? Are YOU ready for the trumpet?