Get ready! by Jane Walters

I’ve become quite a fan of the online church service. In fact, I like them so much that I often watch two or three on a Sunday, taking advantage of being able to tune in to churches I would never be able to visit in person. The interesting thing (though, surely, not surprising) is that the same theme can thread its way through the different gatherings. Recently, I heard again and again “be prepared.” It was as if God were underlining the statement, making sure I’d heard it clearly, and I wrote it in my journal for good measure. As I mused, pencil in hand, I added a question that began tickling the edges of my mind, “is being prepared the same as getting ready?”

photo courtesy of pixabay

The way I see it, I can be prepared to do something – perhaps to embark on a particular project – but that attitude can remain a mental, hypothetical one. Yes, I’m prepared to go to the ends of the world if God requires me to, but it doesn’t mean I’m actually bags-packed, ticket-in-my-pocket ready. If we’re not careful, saying we’re prepared can result in no action at all.

We’re in a whole season of preparation: Advent, the magnificent forerunner of Christmas. All around us are adverts reminding us of what we absolutely mustn’t forget, some of which I didn’t even realise I needed. Just this morning, I walked through the unexpected snow to post some cards, followed by an afternoon of wrestling with the tree and, sadly, that’s not an exaggeration. This is a great example of “needing to prepare” colliding with “getting ready.”

Thinking in terms of writing, I find that I’m looking back over the year – and what a year it’s been for everyone! – and asking not only what I’ve achieved but what I’m sowing into for next year. Those ambitions of mine to expand my reach as a writer, to stretch myself: am I prepared for what it will take to achieve them? Am I making the right baby steps towards getting ready?

I conclude slightly tongue-in-cheek, knowing that it will resonate for many, but being ready to write is more than getting a(nother) new notebook for Christmas! My prayer is that in this season of hurriedness and waiting, ticking off lists and listening out for the angels’ song, we would let God prepare our hearts and minds for all He’s drawing us into.

 Jane Walters is the author of Too Soon (Jane Clamp, SPCK). She runs 2 ACW affiliated groups in her home county of Norfolk and leads writing retreats further afield.