1 Thessalonians: For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
When I had my first child some thirty-plus years ago, I realized I knew nothing about the world. Sure, I had a college degree, and I read the What to Expect When You're Expecting book, but the miracle of the birth of my child, any child, was/is awe-inspiring. From that moment on, planning went out the window. Life was lived in the present. Initially, you couldn't plan when the child ate and slept. The child determined the schedule.
Today's verse is all about the unknown. When will Christ come again? We don't have any idea, but we should be prepared. What to expect while we're waiting (expecting)? The Bible would seem like a logical choice. Getting daily doses of scripture helps prepare us. Standing at those pearly gates would be quite a letdown if St. Peter asked, "And remind me, who are you?"
Is writing this blog an insurance policy? It could be worth repeating as to how this blog get started. It was Ash Wednesday a few years ago, and I felt this nudge to divide the Bible into chapters and verses to correspond with the months and days. What I've been saying all along is that if I feel that nudge, I'm not going to ignore it; I'm going to act on it. That is called obedience, and I believe we are all called to obey.
We are also called to be in alignment with God, not people. I can't imagine that St. Peter would say, "Did you make everyone happy on Earth? Did you try not to ruffle any feathers? Did you obey all the earthly commandments, like thou shalt have a steady job and earn a good living?"
I think St. Peter is going to ask something more along the lines of, "Did you do everything in your power to honor God's commandments? Who was number one in your life, God or man?"
A little like childbirth, we can read books and ask questions, but we have no idea what the future holds.
This day, may we do our best to align ourselves with God so we're not taken completely off guard.