COMING – READY OR NOT.

‘Hooray,’ shouted Ruth, as she read the letter from our American missionary friend. ‘Aunt Willma is coming to visit.’

Aunt Willma treated us kindly when we arrived in Java, even preparing a birthday party in her home for John with her Sunday School class. She also allowed us to use her bath when we visited Surabaja. At our home-bathroom in the village of Wlingi we dipped buckets of cold water from a cement trough, or filled a basin from a kettle of hot water.

As we lived in an isolated village, a visit from a friend became an exciting event and treat.

‘When is aunt arriving? ‘ I asked, thinking of the 160 km drive from Surabaja to Wlingi.

Ruth smoothed out the page. ‘ She does not mention her arrival, Mum’.

‘Never mind. She will probably come during the holidays. Next week Indonesians celebrate their Hari Raja ( National Day ) , so I am sure we can expect her then.’

Prior to the visit, I decided it was an appropriate time and good fun for the family to tidy their cupboards. Not fashionable cupboards, but those made from the packing cases in which our clothes, books, sheets, towels, toys and kitchen vessels arrived from Australia. As well as the 70 pages a week for three years of Correspondence Lessons for the children. Coloured drapes hid the shelves where the children kept their clothes, books and toys. Now with the anticipation of a visitor, it was time for action.

‘Not today,’ pleaded the youngest, as she wiped the sweat from her face. ‘It’s too hot, Mummy’ And everyone agreed.

So early next morning, armed with dusting cloths, and old boxes, we began our adventure. We threw old papers into boxes, set aside toys for repair, and dusted and stacked books into neat piles. Old boxes were ripped and joined the growing pile.

Rukini, our Indonesian helper, peeped into the room. She laughed as she saw us sitting on the floor, covered with dust, and surrounded with school papers, books, and clothes. Kindly, Rukini offered to burn the boxes of discarded papers , and, as each helped, we realised the extra available shelf space.

At the rear of our home, near the grove of paw-paw trees, Saemon, Rukini’s husband, dug a hole, and had already lit a fire with wood and paper ( of which there was plenty.)

‘Just as well aunt Willma comes later,’ reminded John. Maybe she will come tomorrow, or the next day,’ (so we thought.)

‘Yes,’ I agreed, although we really should have done this work yesterday.’

Several times I poked the fire with a stick to push the papers further into the flames, then wiped my left hand across my perspiring face. The children laughed, for my hand was black from the singed stick. As I wiped my face a black smudge decorated my cheek. I tried to wipe it away.

John laughed. ‘You’ve made another one, Mum,’ and the children roared with delight at their Mum, who was beginning to look like a clown. But they each pitched in to poke the fire with their sticks, until the flames died off, and the fire subsided. At the very moment we agreed how much easier it would be to entertain our visitor in a tidy home, a car entered our drive-way. We dropped our poking sticks and ran to greet the driver.

‘Aunt Willma’, we all shouted. ‘We thought you were coming later.’ I hurried across, trying desperately to wipe the black smudges from my face, without success. Aunt Willma laughed at our dilemma, and despite the streaked faces, she kissed each one of us.

‘Don‘t worry,’ she encouraged us, as we walked toward the house , and the shade of a red bougainvillea. Secretly, we wished we had tidied the cupboards the previous day. We surmised Aunt Willma’s later arrival. Although we expected her much later, she came earlier than anticipated.

Our excuses failed to cover or erase the black smudges on our faces. We certainly were too late to greet her dressed in our best clothes. However, we welcomed her to our guest room, and she kindly waited while we took turns to wash ourselves in buckets of cold water drawn from the cement trough, which Rukini’s husband filled from the well.

Remember how our Lord promised to return one day to take all His believing people to heaven. We do not know the day, or the hour, when He will come for us. We cannot say,’ Jesus could not possibly come today.’ One day He WILL come, for those ho trust Him – the christians. For anyone else it will be too late.

Admit ( confess ) any known sin to God, and ask Him to forgive you. If you have hurt someone, own up to God , and apologise to your friend, Be clean and ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus.

Matthew 25:13,’Watch, for you do not know the day nor the hour when the Son of man will come’.

ARE YOU READY?