By Lori Ubowski

 

 

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;
repent, and believe in the good news.” ~Mark 1:15

 

I’ve Heard This Somewhere Before

The call to repent, believe, and strive for a place with our Lord for eternity in His kingdom is a repetitive lesson mentioned throughout scripture. We may hear it so much that we only sometimes take the time to dive in and realize the gravity of this important message. However, the redundancy of this scripture begs our attention to understand and embrace what awaits us beyond our time here on this earth.

Where Did That Come From?

One stormy afternoon that caused school lockdowns and widespread hail damage (something we rarely see in the panhandle of Florida), I waited for a break in the radar and made my way to my office. Everything looked clear, as there were only a few sprinkles to contend with until a wall of swirling white water came out of nowhere -.a tornado! As this realization set in, all the traffic around me stopped, and I realized I was trapped. There was nowhere to go, and the tornado was heading straight for me. It was terrifying because there was no way to know how bad it would be. I braced myself and hoped for the best. Fortunately, it was a small enough tornado that it did not damage my car or me!

Full and Complete Stop

Nothing like a good ‘ole intense near-death experience to bring me to a halt and reiterate the importance of remembering that “the kingdom of God is at hand.” Facing the fear that washed over me (literally) instantly gave me an eye-opening moment to remember that our life on this earth is only temporary.

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, please help me to be present in this moment, remembering that you are near. Please help me to use my time on this earth to serve you and help others know you more deeply. Thank you for the blessings you shower upon me every day. I pray that I grow in your love as I await your Kingdom. Amen.

Call to Action

Ladies, we are rockstars at leading busy lives full of work, chores, friendships, and caring for our families. It is so easy to get caught up in the tasks at hand and forget that this world is not our home. I encourage you to take a minute to step back and spend a few moments in prayer, remembering that the hour of our Lord is near and our time here on this earth is unknown.

 

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