peace-of-mind: Monday's ramblings...

It seems life never stands still. This is a concept that I'm getting used to, slowly. Just as soon as I feel like I've got a handle on a situation, or as soon as I think I have learned one lesson, it's time to conquer another! 

For the most part, I like challenges. I love to learn new things, and take on a new adventure, but then again, as I told you guys last week... change scares me. 

Let's be real. 

There have been so many tragedies lately. We've had people predicting the end of days (which is a totally different post). We have had a particularly tough tornado season. There have been earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes erupting. People are dying at a rapid pace, and for some reason, it seems like it's happening more than ever before. 

As my husband so gently reminded me last night, people have always died in mass casualties. This is nothing new. I guess it's just that I am getting older and pay more attention to the news. Not only that, but as we are more of a globalized society, we have more interaction with people across the world. I don't have to wait until the 6 o'clock news to hear about a suicide bombing in Afghanistan anymore. Because of social media and our globalized society, I can hear about an epidemic outbreak of swine flu AS it is happening. 

Wow, I could seriously get wrapped up in the communication phenomenon of today. BUT, that's not the point. 

The point is this: 

God is in control. 

He always has been. He flooded the earth and completely destroyed all living things. 

He still is. He spares lives everyday. He saves souls everyday. He is still in the miracle-doing-business. 

He always will be. He will one day send his son Jesus back for His people. 

As scary as the rapture sometimes seems, the alternative is much, much worse. Can you imagine staying on this terrible planet forever more? Can you even fathom what mankind would do to this planet 2000 years from now? Would we have clean air to breathe? Would we have any green plants or open fields? Would we know how to muti;late and alter God's perfect and grand creations beyond recognition? I hope and pray that I, nor any of my family's family ever has to know. 

Back to that thought about the rapture seeming scary: I'm not going to lie. Every since I was a little girl, and my good-old-Southern-Baptist Sunday school teacher started talking about the heaven's splitting open and the dead-in-Christ rising, I've always gotten completely weirded out. 

I don't want to see dead people. I don't want to be lifted off the ground and float to meet anyone in the air. BUT, I DO WANT TO MEET MY CREATOR. 

I DO WANT TO DWELL IN HEAVEN WITH HIM FOREVER. I DO WANT TO SEE JESUS FACE-TO-FACE. 

And there's nothing scary about diamonds and rubies in the streets, everlasting praise songs, and a mansion built just for me! So, for today, this is my prayer: 

God, help me to be prepared for your second-coming, but until then, help me to be a good servant here on earth. Help me to raise my son to know you and to honor you in everything he does. God, give me the knowledge that you intend for me to pass on about the end of days. Help me to be ever-aware that you could return at any moment. Give me the strength and the peace-of-mind to lovingly wait on you.