Are You Prepared?

When I was a kid growing up in Central Ohio, I can remember this ride. I don’t know if it was at Cedar Point (which I have to say is one of the best amusement parks ever) or if it was at a carnival. I’m thinking it was at Cedar Point. Anyway this particular ride was in a circle. You got on the ride and everyone put their backs to the circle facing inwards. As the ride would start it would spin really fast. I remember thinking I would hurl at one point. It would raise you up while it spun. Eventually as you keep spinning the floor drops out. Because you’re spinning so fast your body is stuck to the back of the circle and you don’t move. You become a living science experiment on inertia and gravity.

I was thinking about this ride the other day thinking about how if it wasn’t spinning very fast before the floor fell out what would happen? You’d fall to the ground. It reminds me of a tribal African professor that I had in college telling the story of when he first went on an amusement ride. In his thick accent he used to say, “There is no amusement in that amusement ride.” No, falling to the ground doesn’t sound amusing to me. The truth is that ride needs to start spinning really fast before the floor drops out.

How do we relate this to the things of God? There is preparation that needs to happen before you step into the promises of God. There are things that God has to teach you and situations you have to walk through before you can stay in the place He wants you to be in life. Preparation is a good thing. It’s a God thing. It can be so easy to get frustrated in this season. It can be so easy to think, “God I’ve been around this too many times to count by now. Aren’t we there yet?” I’ve cried out to God in similar fashion many times.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

2 Timothy 4:2
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

You have to let God prepare you and make you ready for what He is about to do. You have to go through the process. No, the process isn’t always easy. But it’s worth it. Keep trusting in Him. He has awesome plans for your life. So get excited.