A Condition of Readiness

…the time has come for my departure.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  (II Timothy 4:6, 7)

In the wee hours of a morning several years ago I made a terrible discovery.  With furry mouth, hair askew, and aiming my rumpled body toward the coffee pot I realized I was no longer padding purposefully in the direction of my kitchen like I used to.  I was shuffling!   

Sometime – it seemed like overnight – my youthful stride ran off and left me dragging my feet.  I knew something had to be done, and so began my years-long dedication to EverFit, a program designed to empower families to be “healthier in mind, body and spirit.”   This is not a reminder to exercise, and I promise not to meddle with your calorie intake.  I’m inviting you to ponder with me what this means: 

[FIT: A Condition of Readiness]

It’s obviously an encouragement about life, but it’s also a message about reaching the end of life in a “condition of readiness” for eternity.    

My favorite Christmas story, Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect by Richard H. Schneider, is about a small pine tree who, along with all the pines in the forest hoped to be chosen by the Queen for her castle.  While other pines selfishly work at staying beautiful, Small Pine sacrifices his branches for a frightened rabbit, an exhausted wren, and a hungry doe.  In the end, and despite his imperfections, Small Pine is chosen because, “in his drooping, nibbled branches the wise Queen saw the love of Christ expressed on earth.”

Keeping our minds and hearts in a condition of readiness is a life-long exercise in expressing the love of Christ on earth.  

Father God, we don’t want to shuffle toward eternity ho-hum and half asleep.  Open our eyes to see every opportunity to be like Christ in whose name we pray.  

Sandra Milholland

Abilene, Texas