Although it is the 4th of July this week, that is not where my mind has been. This week would have been my brother’s birthday. Richard died a little over 15 years ago, and I think of him on a fairly regular basis. Sometimes I hear a laugh, other times it is the way someone walks.  Anytime I need to lift something heavy, I think of Richard. But every year on June 30, I remember him, think about which birthday this would have been for him, and what might have been. All of us have people we have loved and have lost along the journey.

As we look forward to the Second Coming, we hold on to the promise that these goodbyes are temporary. One day, one day soon, Jesus is coming. We are going to look up and see a cloud. I am not sure what it will be about this cloud, but I am sure that when we see it, we will know that it is not like any cloud that has ever been. 

And it is amazing to think that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, all of the wrongs of the universe will be made right. I am not sure how this can be done, but with each passing day, I cling to that hope more than the day before. I cannot wait to see Jesus. I cannot wait to see Richard. 

I cannot wait, but am I ready? Luke 1:17 tells us, "With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." We, like Elijah, and like John the Baptist, are tasked with making ready a people prepared for the Lord! 

This preparation, according to this verse, is about restoring relationships. We must restore our relationship with God. Sin separated us from Him, but Jesus came to mend that relationship. Like Revelation 3:20 says, we must open that door and let Him in.

It is about restoring relationships with family. How many of us have family members with whom we are not speaking? We need to forgive and ask for forgiveness. Do not let another day pass without doing all that you can to repair what you are able to on your side. 

It is also about restoring truth and righteousness. As we celebrate freedom, it is easy to blur the lines between freedom and righteousness. Restoring righteousness is not a mandate to make everyone think and behave like us. Likewise, freedom does not mean that we need to forget what is true --- this is a false dichotomy.  

So, as we celebrate the 4th of July and or remember those we have lost along the way, let us look forward to that day when Jesus comes and let us all be ready. It is only after the Second Coming that we will experience true freedom and true righteousness. That will be truly something worth celebrating.