The Call to Prepare

When Hannah was pregnant with our first child, Haven, she was certain she was going to deliver after her expected due date. Since her mom had given birth six times and was late each time, she figured she would follow suit, and she kept saying it to me. I took her words to heart, so you can imagine my shock when she woke me up in the middle of the night three weeks before her due date. Half-dazed and with blurry eyes, I heard her tell me that her water had broken. Like a scene out of a movie, I stumbled and fumbled to get my stuff together so we could get to the hospital. Thankfully, we made it there in time and everything went smoothly once we arrived. However, when we got home, I realized just how unprepared I had been for this sudden turn of events. Our front door was left unlocked and one of our car doors was left open, too. Hannah, on the other hand, had been perfectly prepared. Even though she was sure she wasn’t going to deliver on time, the night before we went to the hospital, she had a gut feeling, so she decided to pack some things up just in case. Though she had no physical indication that anything was going to change, her spirit told her to prepare, and she did. Boy do I wish I had followed her example. In fact, the longer I live, the more I believe life is like this scenario, especially for disciples of Jesus. When we have a sense that God is working behind the scenes to do something great, it’s our responsibility to prepare to receive it.

My friend, now is the time to move from a posture of waiting to a posture of preparation. Don’t be like I was and get caught off guard by the blessing that’s right around the corner. Instead, be like Hannah, and follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings to make room for the amazing thing that’s about to be revealed in your life. If the Lord whispers to your heart that He’s working, do everything in your power to embrace and cooperate with His good plan. He is always faithful, and He will never leave you unequipped to carry out the next perfectly-fitted assignment He calls you to.