Are You Ready?

Canning season started in my household this weekend. A trip to the Farmer’s Market yielded bunches of young beets, which I turn into pickled beets. (Some people really love my recipe!) Later this summer, when the crop is available, I’ll be making dill pickles. Since I make 120 to 130 quarters of pickles (all of which get eaten every year), when the right size cucumbers are available, I need to pickle!

I’m always at the mercy of the crop’s success and timing. And since the process takes hours – cleaning cukes, sanitizing jars, heating brine, and boiling jars – I have to be ready to move when I get home from the market. So long before I know for sure that I’ll be canning, I’ve made time in my schedule, purchased ingredients, and made sure I have the right equipment and supplies. Then, and only then, am I ready to shop for the produce.

Now all of this preparation is well worth it. It’s delightful to give family and friends a gift they truly appreciate each year, one that comes from my own hands. I have nieces and nephews and brothers and sisters who have begun to help me with my efforts and our days together are always a blast. And frankly, I love eating them! But none of the joy and benefit will be there if I don’t prepare well in advance of the time I’ll be able to move ahead with my task.

The parable is pretty obvious, isn’t it? God has a call on our lives and there’s joy and satisfaction in fulfilling that mission. But if we aren’t prepared, well in advance of when the mission is ready to begin, we’ll never get there. If we don’t turn our lives over to God, letting Him guide and direct us, we’re not going to be available to make His project happen.

So if I’m willing to start thinking and planning and investing now for something as unimportant as making pickles in August, how much more should I be preparing myself for God’s calling that can have life-changing impact? Find out your strengths, begin practicing your gifts, pay attention to what God is showing you. Be prepared when the crop is available so you can experience the joy of the mission!

How is God preparing you? Click on “comments” and share your thoughts.