"On Call" (Living ready!)

I am a nurse in a very busy Labor & Delivery unit. Today I have the privilege of being "on call". "On Call" works like this: You put your name on the calendar for a day you are scheduled to work, if the census is low that day, you can stay home "on call" with the understanding that you should be ready at all times lest you be called in to work at any time. For many nurses, when they are told they can stay home "on call", they can roll over and go back to sleep. This has never been the case for me! I feel an urgency to be ready! I'll get up, get dressed and literally get my house in order in case I receive a call to come into work at any time. I would venture as far as to say that more is accomplished when I am "on call" than any other time. I love those rare opportunities when I am "on call" because I love being home. It is my safe haven and where those I love most reside. Being on call, you have this sense of dread because you know that you could be called in at any moment, leaving the comfort of your home at any time. Whether we realize it, we all live life "on call". We will all be called home one day and have no idea when (for only God can number our days). Our readiness on earth will determine which home we are called to when we depart. Many will roll over, go back to sleep - as if they are not "on call" and when that call comes they won't be ready, they'll end up being late - too late! Others will live ready and "sober"! There are scriptures throughout the Bible that point for the need to be ready and sober but first I want to define these two words. To be ready is be prepared for action..."sober" means "marked by moderation, temperance, or seriousness". I Peter 5:8 says " Be of sober spirt, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Matthew 22:44 talks about our reason for "living ready"..."For this reason, you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." Both of these scriptures have "sobering" advice for the believer and non-believer...
Many will live as believers in Christ, ready for the call! When the call comes, we will leave with anticipation knowing that greater things than what this world has to offer awaits us! While on earth we are called to accomplish much until we receive "The call"....With urgency and great motivation we are to tell others about "the call" so that they too can be ready!
I Peter 3:15 says, "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

My Only Resolution.....

O.K., I haven't been doing so good with the blogging lately...been going through a dry spell. I tried desperately prior to the New Year to come up with a list of resolutions but only settled on one....to grow closer in my walk with God. One thing christian author and speaker, Beth Moore, has challenged us to do is memorize scripture (see the LPM blog in the sidebar for more info). I have always wanted to memorize scripture but always had some poor excuse why I couldn't. We have a night of praise one Sunday a month...at this time people can sing a song, read a poem, perform and skit, give a testimony, etc.....the most memorable "Night of Praise" was a couple of months ago when a young man by the name of Joel stood up and recited the entire Chapter 8 of the Book of Romans....FROM MEMORY....not only did he recite it but he did so with passion. This particular chapter of the Bible is relatively long. This struck a cord with me and made me think about how privileged we are in America to have Bibles EVERYWHERE, but also how for granted we take that privilege. It also made me think about the possibility of not having God's written Word. I thought about Joel bravely and passionately reciting the Bible that night...you know, if in America we are ever denied the Word of God, or if it is snatched from us, Joel will have Romans Chapter 8 in his heart and mind to cling to. With that in mind, I know that scripture memory is something I need to pursue. So, twice a month (on the 1st and 15th), I go to the "LPM" Blog, sign in and state the scripture I plan to memorize over the next two weeks. It is amazing how much understanding and clarity comes to scripture when you commit it to memory. If you are interested in memorizing scripture, I challenge you to do the same. If you are interested in doing so through the LPM blog site, just go to the blog site on the 1st and 15th of each month. You can pick your own scripture to memorize or memorize one that Beth Moore chooses. By the end of the year you will have memorized 24 scriptures. WOW!