INCOMING!
 
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will
come."--Matthew 24:42

We had just come home from church. I was already kicking off my shoes in
preparation of a sedentary Sunday afternoon, when the phone rang. My
husband's parents had called to say that they were in the area and
wondered if we would mind a visit. 

What my in-laws saw when they arrived was our cute apartment in pretty
good shape. What they didn't see was the flurry of activity that took
place right after we got off the phone. As I hung up the phone, my
internal monologue shouted "Incoming! All hands on deck!" Our place
wasn't in disarray, but it wasn't spic-n-span either. All that really
needed to be done was wipe the counters and run the vacuum, and I was
able to talk my husband into doing that while I changed my clothes. 

I think for the most part, everyone tries to put his or her best foot
forward in certain situations. We do this especially when we find
ourselves in the company of someone we respect or admire. God deserves
our ultimate respect and admiration, but how often do we make sure that
the varying aspects of our life are presented well before Him? 

Unlike the people who see us only in certain situations and at certain
times, God sees us all the time. He knows our thoughts before they are
given much time to grow. He knows the intentions behind every one of our
actions, whether it be noble or selfish. He sees us in a light that is
even more brutally honest that even our most trusted friends do. He
knows us more intimately than we know ourselves. He sees us as we truly
are.

Even though we are already under God's watchful eye, some day He's going
to check on us. Our time on earth will come to an abrupt end, and we
will be found either living faithfully, or idly. God gives us no warning
of when this will take place. He won't call us on the telephone to say
that He's in the area and will drop by around 4 o'clock if that's
convenient. We will not be given an opportunity to run around
frantically trying to clean up our living space to make it appear
acceptable to Him.

God wants us to be ready at any moment for His appearance. We need to
live each day as if it was our last, and focus on the things that really
matter--like developing a relationship with Him. The day will come when
we will run out of opportunities to get our hearts right with God. While
we still have time, we need to spend time with Him.