Brenda’s Blog – April 18, 2023
“Someday I am going to play soccer for France in the World Cup and I want to be ready.”
French soccer player Kylian Mbappe was the first child in his class to learn the French National Anthem when questioned by his astonished teacher he answered, “I am going to play soccer for France in the World Cup and I want to be ready.” He did and he was!
Years ago my children went to a church camp directed by an energetic couple and an enthusiastic staff. Before breakfast all the children lined up on the tennis court for “jerks.” The Canadian name for exercises. The camp designed and named them with spiritual content.
The one I most remember is “rapture practice.” The children would stretch their arms and jump as high as they could. Assuredly, the theology was terrible, but the phrase caught on. Forty years later we can still laugh about it.
But the readiness and eagerness of a young Mbappe is an inspiration now isn’t it? Stop a minute and think about how you prepare: for school, marriage, career, parenthood, grandparenthood, and then the end of life experiences. Of course, there are the unexpected for which we haven’t readily prepared like divorce, death of family members, or health problems.
Then thinking back on the children reaching for the sky and jumping a few inches off the ground, we can consider how we prepare for heaven. One of the clearest activities in scripture for eternity is singing. Are you learning the songs of heaven? Are you practicing to praise the lamb? Are you singing God’s anthems now to be ready?
Revelation 4 and 5 give us texts which forever will be proclaimed: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come!” And “Worthy are you, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Then the magnificent laudatory lines: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
Are you going to surround the throne of God raising your voice? If so, practice. If not, look to scripture, particularly the book of John, to see who this Lamb is. He is who came, died, was buried, and rose again to pay the penalty for our sins. Hallelujah!