Weddings, weddings, weddings.  This summer has been full of weddings.  Whether it’s actual weddings that I’ve attended or future weddings that I am helping couples prepare for, the subject of weddings has been the topic of conversation for much of this summer.

Of course everyone loves to rejoice and celebrate weddings with family and friends, but I think we’d all agree on this:  it’s a lot more fun to attend a wedding than to prepare for one.  Preparing is hard work – as I’m sure that all of the brides (and mothers of the brides) could attest to.  There’s so much to keep track of and coordinate and stay on top of.  In the end, it’s all worth it – but there’s no doubt that it isn't easy.

What about your wedding?  Are you ready for it?  Are you working to get ready?  Did you realize that it’s coming up soon?

“And it shall be, in that day…that you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master,’…’I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the LORD.”  Hosea 2:16-20

Obviously I am not talking about your earthly wedding here, but rather your heavenly one.  You may not realize it, but your wedding day may be just around the corner.  Are you getting ready?  Your Bridegroom is.  He did a lot to prepare Himself and to prepare you for that day.  And He’s still hard at work to make sure that everything is just right for that glorious day.

How about you?  What effort are you putting in?  Or are you living on cruise control, coasting through life and just planning to show up at the wedding some day without any preparation?

Can you imagine a bride just “showing up” for her wedding without any planning or preparation?  Would anyone do that for an earthly wedding?  Why then for the heavenly one?

I say this not to guilt or scare you, but to prepare you.  We have a wonderful Bridegroom in heaven working hard to prepare a special place for us – where we can live with Him forever.

“I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am there you may be also.”  John 14:2-3

For me, I know what I need to do.  Every year I use the start of the school year to get myself reorganized.  I schedule a “day away” – a chance for me to get away from everything and spend some time looking at the big picture of my life and review where I’m at with my goals.  Am I on track?  Am I still moving in the direction of my highest priorities?  What should be the focus for this next season of my life?  It’s a chance for me to pray and reflect on where I’m at in life and where I need to be going.

Is it easy to schedule a couple days off to reflect on my life?  NOPE.  But is it worth it?  You better believe it!  You wouldn’t want to show up unprepared on your wedding day, would you?

Are you getting ready?  If not, maybe it’s time to do something about it.  Some things are just too special to ignore.

For discussion:  what do you need to do to help get yourself ready for that wedding day?