Waiting For Daddy

At church this past Sunday I was talking with many friends after the service.   One particular lady and I were in a long conversation, when her little girl tugged at her mother’s sweater and said, “Mommy, we have to get ready for Daddy.”  The mother replied to her child that there was plenty of time, and explained to me that her husband had to work every other Sunday, and would be home later in the afternoon.

We carried on with our conversation for several minutes, when again, the little girl tugged at her mother’s sweater and said, “I want to bake something sweet for Daddy.  He likes sweet things.  Can we bake something for Daddy?”  The mother told the little girl to wait just a minute and they would go home and bake something for Daddy.  “She’s really a Daddy’s girl,” the mother said to me.  We ended our conversation then, and I watched a very happy little girl, quickly walking away, her hand tucked in her mother’s.  She was going to get ready for Daddy.  He would be coming soon, and the thought filled her with great joy.

As I walked home a bit later myself, a thought shot into my mind — Jesus will come again one day, and He will take all of us who know Him, to be with our Heavenly Father, for eternity.  The Apostle Paul told the Christians in Thessolonika that he was pleased to know that they had “continual anticipation of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  I Thessalonians 1:3.  He also said in 5:2 of the same book, “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly.”  

When I think of His unexpected return, like the little girl getting ready for Daddy, I want to be certain that I’m ready, too.  Therefore, I desire to:  keep my heart clean, my motives pure, my thoughts — His thoughts, and may everything I do or say be pleasing to my Heavenly Father.

The little girl had great fun in getting ready for her Daddy’s return.  Being ready for the return of Jesus is no burden to bear, but is a great joy to imagine what it will be like to suddenly see Him face to face.  As John encourages us in his letter, I John 2:28, “Continue to live in fellowship with Christ so that when He returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from Him in shame.”  Let’s be ready, together.