I live outside of our nation’s capital and, until last week, it has been many years – even decades – since this city had a champion sports team. The Washington Capitals changed all that last Thursday evening when they won the Stanley Cup! Apparently, it was a huge deal! I say “apparently” because I missed it. I am not a sports person. I don’t follow sports and I don’t, actually, like sports. However, I know lots of folks do and having a winning team has been fun for many. But, I missed it.
I did not even realize they had won until I was at the dentist on Friday morning. Apparently, my dentist is a Caps fan. And she was excited about the win! She gave me the period-by-period replay – and I felt like I hadn’t really missed a thing:) I was grateful that, as the day went on and I was asked repeatedly, “what about those Caps??!!” I could at least acknowledge I knew what all the excitement was about! (Nothing like intelligently engaging in conversation when you don’t have a clue!)
Later that afternoon, I began thinking: what if “the big news” really had been something important? Something of national significance had happened overnight? How long would it take before I heard the news…or understood the impact? Or….
What if the rapture had occurred? Now, I know I would not have missed that. I would be among those “missing”….having been caught up in the air!! (What a day that will be!!?) I would like to think enough Christians would be suddenly “gone” that it would make a tremendous impact on our country. People from big cities to rural towns….millionaires, homeless folks and all types of people inbetween….well-educated and uneducated….with all skin colors, backgrounds and of all ages. Surely, American would have to take notice.
But what about countries such as Thailand? A country where 94% of the people are Buddhist and 5% are Muslims. That’s 99 percent – almost an entire country. Will they even notice the rapture has occurred? That thought truly unsettles me. Is it really possible that whole countries could continue, completely unaffected, in the minutes and hours after the Lord returns to claim His children – and to take us to Heaven?
There are no easy answers to these types of questions. But they are sobering and, hopefully, unsettling. Unsettling enough to jar us from our comfort zones. From our routines and schedules and, yes, our hurried paces. To cause us to look for our way – our part – to be involved with spreading the gospel. To remove our naivety and to see an entire world that needs to hear about Jesus. And, to pray. Remember to pray for the lost, for those who are able to go, and for your part to help others reach this lost world.
I have not yet set my feet on Thailand soil – although it’s very close! – and this country and my opportunity to go there are already impacting my heart!! Depending on when you read this post, I might be in-flight or I may have already arrived and hit the ground running! I sincerely appreciate your prayers!!