A large part of the fun is found in the getting ready. I'm sure the Bride felt that way, too. All of the preparation was hugely fun! There was the shopping for just the right dress, with a sister or two hovering and saying encouraging words. ("Buy it!"). There was the consideration for the shoes - which went with what dress, best? Should they be black or navy? And the frequent discussions about how the family would get there, where they would stay, or what they would eat. It was a lot of fun just asking, and telling.
All the while a woman is preparing for a wedding, whether it be her own or someone else's, she is already living it. Did you know that? It's true. And not just for things like weddings. The same thing goes on when I, for instance, am getting ready to travel - especially to England. There is no ending to the thought process, the online scouting, and the vicarious thrills it all perpetuates. There isn't anything like it - that is, until the Real Thing shows up, and we are there.
THAT is best!
I really wouldn't want a trip, or a wedding, where I was not involved in the planning. Picturing it all out in one's mind is wonderful, and terrifically rewarding. This morning I (unfortunately) awoke at 3:00 a.m. and experienced no further sleep. So I decided to think all through the upcoming trip. It started with take-off - that feeling of rushing down the tarmac at break-neck speeds when you think to yourself, "Ummm...when will the thing rise up?"). But it finally does do that, and finally gets you out and over the USA, eventually touching you down in beloved England.
Then the fun begins.
And that is when you realize that all of the planning was only a minor taste of the Real Thing. The moment that beautiful Bride walked down the aisle with her father, she knew this was the real deal, and not just some daydream. I hope I am preparing well for that which means the most. That Place where I will spend every moment with the One who is preparing the Place. My trip there will be the Real Deal, and the cost of it was all His.
PREP - it's key. Don't forget, and don't get lost. The way is clearly signposted - you can't miss it!
See you along the Way!
the SconeLady
The WAY is clearly signposted, but just incase you missed the off-ramp, here's the deal:
ReplyDelete1. Everyone needs salvation because we have all sinned.
Romans 3:10-12, and 23
As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” ... For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (NLT)
2. The price (or consequence) of sin is death.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT)
3. Jesus Christ died for our sins. He paid the price for our death.
Romans 5:8
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (NLT)
4. We receive salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:9-10, and 13
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved ... For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (NLT)
Salvation through Jesus Christ brings us into a relationship of peace with God.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. (NLT)
Romans 8:1
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. (NLT)
Romans 8:38-39
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT)
Responding to Romans Road
If you believe this Way leads to the path of truth, you can respond by receiving God's free gift of salvation today. Here's how to take a personal journey down the clearly signposted Way:
1. Admit you are a sinner.
2. Understand that as a sinner, you deserve death.
3. Believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to save you from sin and death.
4. Repent by turning from your old life of sin to a new life in Christ.
5. Receive, through faith in Jesus Christ, his free gift of salvation.