What We Do Now

Luke 12:37,40 – Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. (KJV)

How often, upon doing something, or experiencing something, have you realized that something you'd done before prepared you for the experience at hand?

All my life, I've walked, and for years, often did so with my dog or on my own. Some family members or friends, being of the "fair weather" type, joined me when it suited them.

However, over four years ago, circumstances led my husband to walk every day, and walk in a way that would get his heart rate up. So our daily walk is a two-hill climb from our home in the neighbourhood to the pathway paralleling the highway. We enjoy a nice flat kilometre walk along the pathway, then downhill to the beach to begin a rigorous 500-metre climb, through a forested gully (ravine), which entails many sets of stairs broken by occasional landings, bridges, and pathways.

This year (2006), two weddings took us to other countries: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and the country roads of Italy, with the endless gift of hilltop towns. Though we did not know so beforehand, both trips required much walking and climbing if we were to enjoy what each had to offer.

Little did we know when we began our regime those years ago that we would be so well prepared for the walking and climbing we did each day and the wondrous things we discovered. Books can give one a glimpse, an insight, but nothing can touch the personal experience.

Whether it was treks up stones and stairs to the ruins of a café left from the making of the movie, "The Night of the Iguana", or a visit to sample and savour the flavours of a vegetarian restaurant, or to stroll what was left of the streets of Pompeii, or to tour Etruscan tombs, our daily regime back home had prepared us well for what we had now experienced.

It was when we were back home again climbing our familiar route, silently reliving some of the sights we'd seen, that I realized the similarity to our life's journey. What we do now prepares us for the wonders which we cannot even imagine lie ahead.

How we live our lives — how we treat others; how we respect nature and are thankful for all God gives us; how we "live in the light of God", allowing ourselves to be His instruments to show and share His peace and His love — prepares us for what is beyond our comprehension when this life's journey is over.

Prayer: Lord, may we live our lives in such a way each day as to grow with and in Your grace that we may experience all You have promised. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

Forward this devotional     Share this devotional on Facebook     Like PresbyCan on Facebook