Are You Watching for Jesus? - An Airport Lesson

This post is something I wrote 6 years ago when my granddaughter was 5 years old.

Matthew 24:42 "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.".

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Recently my daughter-in-law went to Japan for a week. For the last three days she was away, I went to their house very early in the morning to babysit my 5 year old granddaughter.  It had been arranged in advance that my son would be home to look after her for the first four days, followed by myself.  I told my granddaughter that on the day that I came, it would be a very short time before her mother came home.   "two more sleeps, and mama will be home."

Needless to say, on the day before, my granddaughter got up pretty early and asked if mama would be home, so I told her one more sleep.  The next morning she was up at 6:30 am asking if it was time to go to the airport.  She was so excited,  she had a bath, washed her hair, brushed her teeth, picked out a pretty dress, and soon it was time to head for the airport.  On the way she saw a plane in the sky and remarked that we must be getting close to the airport.

As we entered the international arrival section, there was a large crowd of people gathered to meet loved ones.  Everyone arriving had to come through customs, which took at least a 1/2 hour after the plane touched down.  They had to pick up their baggage, and then they came through doors and down a narrow, enclosed passageway to the opening where finally, there were greetings with embraces, flowers, what have you.  A lot of people were looking at the monitors that had been set up so they could see their loved one entering through the doors that were quite a distance away.. 

We had arrived at the time the plane touched down, and we were first sitting in chairs, and then standing at the railing separating us from the passageway.  It seemed a very long time that we stood there, and my granddaughter was getting discouraged, asking "where is mama?" and I kept telling her that soon her mama would be there.  At first I was aware of all the people waiting, but as time passed, it was like they disappeared, and my granddaughter and I were the only ones there, so focused were we waiting for her mother.



Finally I saw my daughter-in-law on the monitor coming through the doors, and excitedly told my granddaughter "I see mama!!" and we practically ran over to the railing.  When we all saw each other, my granddaughter grabbed the railing and tried to climb to her mother, so we said we would see her at the opening and went to the end of the passageway.  By this time my granddaughter was literally bouncing up and down.  Her mother dropped her baggage, and my granddaughter leaped up into her arms, and wrapped herself around her mother's body, resting her head on her shoulder.  What a joyous reunion!  my husband and I gathered up the luggage, and we headed home, my daughter-in-law first carrying, and then hand in hand with my granddaughter.

This was such a wonderful picture to me of what it will be like on the day that Jesus comes again for his own. On one wonderful day, the Lord Jesus will "descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God......then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up ......in the clouds........and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

How are we waiting?  are we spending time worrying too much of the things of this world?  wars and rumours of wars?  the terrible economy?  our daily trials and temptations that are such as are common to man?  or are we looking for Jesus as my granddaughter did for her mother, with expectancy and excitement at being with the one we love with no thought for what is going on around her.

My granddaughter's seeing the airplane and asking if we were near the airport reminded me of seeing the signs of the times around us and knowing that the Lord Jesus is one day closer than he was yesterday.

My granddaughter's desire to look her  best for her mother reminded me of how we are to live our lives according to the leading of the Spirit, that we be not ashamed at his coming.

My granddaughter's getting discouraged and saying "where is mama?" reminded me of how we are in this world, and see the things around us, and wonder how long it will be before Jesus comes again.

In seeing all the other passengers departing from other planes, and looking for my daughter-in-law alone, reminded me that we are looking for the Lord Jesus, because in Him only our salvation lies..  "....I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  (John 14:6)

And what will it be when we are finally face to face with our Saviour?  Like my granddaughter's reunion with her mother, it will be gloriously happy, filled with love, and peace at last. 

Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.

I do pray that this post is a blessing to whomever reads it.