I like the story about a college student who had gone off to school. He was having a very difficult semester. His grades were getting worse and worse. In fact, he was failing every single class.
For his own health and safety, he wanted to get his father ready for this. So he sent a text message to his mother on the last day of class. In the text he said, “Mother? Four words - - Failed classes. Prepare dad.”
A couple of hours later he received a text back from his mother that said, “Four words - - Prepared dad. Prepare yourself.” And that’s a good word. We need a time in our lives to get ready. Churches all around the world recognize that we are now in the season of Advent. The word Advent comes to us from the Latin word “adventus,” which means arrival. In the Christian year, Advent is a time of preparation. A time of preparing ourselves for the coming of the Christ Child in Bethlehem and looking forward to His return someday as the King of Kings.
It is my prayer that this Advent season will be a time of preparation in my own life. A time of prayer, worship and growth in my faith. A time in which I prepare my heart for the coming of Christ. Maybe this is your prayer also.