Getting Ready

I was about 10 years old and we were at a professional baseball game!
Life was good. My dad told me to wear my ball glove (we were in the
foul ball section) and be ready. Inning after inning passed and
nothing close. I took it off. As you guessed, the next inning the
foul ball came whizzing by my seat... and went on. I wasn't ready. I
missed the chance. Jesus warns us to be ready for his coming.
Abraham Lincoln said when he lost an election, "I'll go ahead and get
ready and maybe my time will come."

When I survey the people who are most used by the Lord the pattern is
always there. They go ahead and get ready, under the radar, when no
one cares to look. Timothy becomes a key player in the New Testament,
as does Barnabas. Both have a history of getting ready. Of Timothy
the Bible says he was a disciple before Paul came to town. He was
getting ready for the ride of his life but didn't know it. Barnabas
first appears on the scene not with Paul but back among the disciples
when he sells and gives property. Back then the disciples renamed
him, son of encouragement! He was getting ready for a world wide
ministry back when he was expressing encouragement, sacrificing for
others.

Getting ready is a belief in the Lord's destiny. Getting ready is
working when it seems to be beyond possibility. Getting ready is
conducting our lives in a pattern that unknowingly opens the future.
We are all getting ready for something. At 10 I was ready to learn a
lesson, the ball only comes this way once in a while, be ready. So,
at my age I am still getting ready for a cool future in the Lord.