In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. I Corinthians 15:51 (KJV)

I always smile when I think of the following story, as told by our pastor some years ago.

A good friend of ours (name changed to protect the innocent), who was a fairly young Christian back in the early 90’s, was out on the church parking lot one day jumping as high as he could.  With arms raised high, he was jumping and leaping all around.

Pastor Walker finally could stand it no longer.  He wandered out to where the young man was, and asked him, “Jacob, what are you doing, Buddy?”

Jacob replied with something like this, “Rapture practice, Doc.  Don’t you know, the Lord is coming back?  I’m just practicing to make sure I’m ready to go with Him when He comes!”

Enough said.  .  .

When days get tough, as they sometimes do, I remember that story and smile to myself.  How precious is the newfound faith of a believer?

Ah that we all should be so excited about the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Maybe if we practiced a little more; waiting and watching expectantly, maybe the Lord would hurry and return.

Some days, the older I get the more I want to go out in the yard and give a few leaps. . .  Just to “make sure” that I can get my feet off the ground, for if, and when He returns!  Ha! Ha!

Now, I know that this is silly, and I know that when the Lord does return it will happen so quickly that we will not even realize it until it is done.  But somehow, it just reassures me a little to remember that it’s okay to practice a little and to be excited about the fact that Christ WILL return!

Of course then, all the loved ones who do not know the Lord, or who have known Him but are not living a Christian life at this time, come to mind.  I am reminded of the song we sang when I was a child, “Wait a little longer please Jesus. . .  a few more days to get our loved ones in.”

Yes, my heart is often heavy as I pray that God will be merciful and that we all will somehow be drawn closer to Him.

Satan is truly going about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  I have cried buckets of tears as I pray for those whom I love.  With the world getting worse by the moment, the leadership of our country and those who make the decisions for our future going in ungodly directions, it is frightening.

And yet, I remind myself that no matter how bad things look, no matter how out of control we may feel, God is still in control.  He will have the final say.  Christ will return one day to take His people home.  We just have to watch and wait.

And perhaps we do need to get a little “rapture practice” in every now and then. . .

For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.  Hebrews 10:37 (KJV)