Many times one of my kids have grabbed me and in desperate tones asked me to pray with them. At times like these they don’t mean, go to your “prayer chair” and pray or sometime in the near future, pray this kind of request means “now Mom aloud” and many times on our knees. I have bowed my head and whispered words as we held hands, I have embraced my child and prayed into their ear only and I have been on my knees anywhere we need to go including the church alter. It has been the greatest privileges of my life to go to the throne with these who God has given me.
I have a special memory that happened early spring when I was “great with child” expecting my fourth baby. The twins were 6 years old and Christa was 8 and I had picked them up at school, a Christian school they were attending at the time, and “a deer in the headlights” wouldn’t begin to describe the fear that shone in their little faces that day. As they jumped into the car, all of them talking at the same time, I finally made out that they had talked about the “end times” in chapel that day. I don’t know if the presentation was at all “kid friendly” or not but evidently it scared them to the point that all they wanted to do was pray that Jesus would come into their hearts so they would be spared this awful fate. I can still see the back of those three little heads in the rear view mirror as they knelt in the back seat, eyes closed tight and hands folded with all the sincerity in their voices that has ever fell on the ears of our God. I almost chuckled at this sight but my heart was too overwhelmed with love for my God and my children. I, with eyes open as I drove, prayed. I prayed my heart out as they bowed there because I too belonged back there with them. I was still a pretty new Christian who avoided any mention of Christ’s returning and those “end times“. After all, I had a great life and I wanted to see my kids grow up and have kids of their own. I didn’t want to think of those horrific symbols in the bible. I consoled myself, thinking that there are so many who interpret it so differently, how would I even know who was right?
This past week my bible study group chose to study Daniel by Beth Moore and I was all excited until the introduction of the study. I love the old testament but had never thought about the book of Daniel being so filled with prophecy. My heart immediately took a dive to the “back seat” as I had done for so many years, successfully avoiding scriptures that talked about Jesus return and the end of days but now what was I to do? I could take the book, leave that day and never return or I could give it a try. As I started through the first chapter and the first lesson I couldn’t wait to work ahead so on and on I went. I began to see that these predictions that so frightened me before were just further proof that the God that created me, loved me and died for me also has plans for the future. Such visions as the "ten horned beast" was not literal but symbolic of kingdoms to come in the future. These signs didn't send me flying over the front seat but reminded me that He is in charge and He is Sovereign! I began to think about what that could mean to me as I study and wait for His return?
I love the way Charles Swindoll puts it in his book The Finishing Touch:
“Okay, swell. But what do I do in the meantime?” I can hear a dozen or more pragmatists asking that question. First, it might be best for you to understand what you don’t do. You don’t sit around, listening for some bugle call. You don’t keep staring up into the sky, looking for the rapture cloud. You don’t whip up a white robe and buy a helium-filled balloon with angels painted all over it. And you don’t quit work and move to Oregon for fear you’ll miss Him because of the smog. And for goodness sake, don’t try to set the date because of “the signs of the times”!
You do get your act together. You do live every day (as if it’s your last) for His glory. You do work diligently on your job and in your home (as if He isn’t coming for another ten years) for His Name’s sake. You do shake salt out every chance you get . . . and do shine the light . . . and remain balanced, cheerful, winsome, and stable, anticipating His return day by day. Other than that, I don’t know what to tell you.
Except, maybe, if you’re not absolutely sure you’re ready to fly, you get your ticket fast. As long as they are available, they’re free. But don’t wait. About the time you finally make up your mind, the whole thing could have happened, leaving you looking back instead of up.
What good is a ticket if the event is over?
Okay, I think I can do this! I just need to get out of the “back seat” like my daughters did that beautiful spring day, victorious, knowing Christ abides in our hearts whether He comes tomorrow or a thousand years from now!
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