Love is waiting

This will just be a quick thought. But one that I hope you may be able to dwell on for a while.  I believe it is an integral part of the human condition, women more obvious so than men, that whenever someone is going to come over to your house, you clean that thing to a pulp.  Take my mom for instance.  When I was growing up, I remember some instances when one of her close friends was coming to visit.  The lawn had to be mowed, the bushes dusted, the wood oiled and waxed, the monster behind the toilet purified while wearing a hazmat suit.  That place couldn't have a carpet strand with a split end! And then when everything was just right, we would anxiously await our visitors.  ...Or what about a date with the guy/girl that you care about so much? Girls, you spend multiple hours in front of the sink getting all beautified.  And it's not to make him think you are beautiful, for I am sure he already thinks that you are a million times over, but rather you do it out of an act of love for him! 

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning,and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them." Luke 12:35-37

How often do we go through our days waiting like that? How often do we prepare our hearts and keep them ready?  Do we live out our days like the Master is coming home at any moment?  Not nearly enough!  May we be like the servant in this parable who was ready, who had his house cleaned, who had his fire burning, and was ready the instant the Master knocked.  And not to make him think we have it all together, that we are beautiful, that we are righteous, because He already thinks we are (2 Corinthians 5:21), but because we love Him, and we desire Him, and we need Him! We stay in communion with God, or rather Him with us, so that we might keep our lamp burning for when the Master comes home.  

But here is the thing.  Our Master isn't like other masters.   For our Master is most glorified when he can meet our needs and serve us.  There is nothing we can give to the Creator of everything except to find our utmost satisfaction in being in communion with Him.  So our Master becomes the servant, reclines us at the table, and serves us! I'm not making this stuff up guys. it is uncanny! That the God of the universe, created us, loved us, we turned away, he still loved us, he placed His righteousness on us, he serves us, he justifies us, he sanctifies us, ... and we just find our joy in the pure satisfaction that God is.  period.  That is the gospel.  

Blessed are those whom the Master finds awake when he knocks.  

Waiting! .....

Sunset boardwalk and marina, Bellingham, WA