Be Prepared - Inspire A Fire

Be prepared.

As I type this on August 24, 2017, in anticipation of needing to evacuate my home soon, I’d like to share what the Weather Underground headline states:

Dangerous, Rapidly Intensifying Harvey Expected to be a Major Hurricane

Hurricane Warnings and Storm Surge Warnings are up for portions of the coast of Texas as rapidly intensifying Tropical Storm Harvey heads north-northwest at 10 mph over the Gulf of Mexico. Harvey has explosively intensified in the early morning hours, and is almost certain to be a hurricane later today. If you live on the coast of Texas, please heed the advice of local emergency management officials, and get out today if you live in an evacuation zone.

Okay. I live along the Gulf Coast of Texas.

As they say in these parts, this is not my first rodeo. We’ve been through several hurricanes since moving to Texas seventeen years ago. Rita and Ike being the most deadly. When you’re watching CNN in a hotel room after you’ve evacuated from your home, and your house shows up as being in one of the most devastated areas hit by Ike, you know it’s serious.

So why am I writing about preparing for a hurricane when this month’s theme is “Prepare Ye the Way–Preparing for the end of the year”? Because no matter if it is August, September, December, or April, we need to be prepared for the expected and the unexpected.

And most especially, I believe, we need to be prepared for the Second Coming of the Lord. That is an expected unexpected. We know it will happen. We don’t know when. The Bible tells us Jesus will return as a thief in the night. No one will know the day or the hour except the Father. Be prepared just as if a hurricane was barreling down on you.

If you are of a certain age, you may remember this song from the musical Godspell. Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord. Don’t let the shofar at the beginning of the song scare you off. Listen to the message. Be prepared. Jesus will return.

I wish you well.

Sandy

Sandy Kirby Quandt

Sandy Kirby Quandt is a follower of Jesus with a passion for history and travel. Passions that often weave their way into her stories and articles. She writes articles, devotions, and stories for adult and children publications. She is a regular contributor to Guideposts devotional books, as well as a conference speaker. Sandy has won multiple awards for her writing, including several years in the Young Adult category of the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. However, her greatest honor came when she received the Right Stuff Award at Space Camp for Educators. Looking for words of encouragement or gluten-free recipes? Then check out her blog at www.sandykirbyquandt.com