I thought I missed the rapture!

You know how when you first start learning about the end times, you always say "I hope Jesus comes back in my time, because then if I'm not really a Christian I'll know for sure, and have time to change before I die?"

(at least that's what I thought when I was six.)

Well… let's just say today was pretty darn scary for me.

It started off like this: I went to work and dad came over to me and said "go home, mom needs the car, she'll drop you off here and go run her errands."

So I went home. Nobody was there. The lights were out, all four of them (mom and the three kids) were gone. Yogi (dog) was hyper and running all over the place. Bagherah (cat) was sitting on the back step freaking out over something.

I was thinking "Oh…. My…. God. I missed the rapture."

Now I was thinking in the back of my head "no……..I'm sure I'm saved." I looked around for the house phone (it was gone) and Hannah's phone (it was gone) and mom's phone (it was gone.)

I realized "either they got a ride from the neighbors… or they… took their phones to heaven? wut??"

So I got back in the car and drove back to work. Now normally I'd have been ok, but there was hardly a car in the street. I looked across the street where there was a Christian school directly across from us. I didn't see anyone out there save one or two people. I kept looking for lots of people. There weren't many.

I got back to work, parked, and practically ran in to the store. As soon as I heard my dad's voice I started breathing again. I know for sure, if anyone on earth is a Christian, my dad is him.

Dad was laughing at me as I ran up. "They're not there, are they?"

"No, I walked in and nobody was there… Dad, I thought I missed it."

"The rapture?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry. I'm still here."  I gave him a hug.  "They called and said they walked to Almond Tree Cafe."  he said after I let go of him and dried my eyes. I was laughing so hard I was crying a little bit.

I rolled my eyes and left to go get them. When I arrived and walked in, there they were, sitting in the corner. I must have had a smug look of some kind on my face, because mom burst out laughing. "I called you when we decided to come over here, but you don't have your own phone, so I called the house phone."

"The house phone isn't at the house."

"Yes… it started ringing… Carly had it!" I looked at Carly, who winced under my sarcastic glare. "Carly said 'sorry…' and we started talking about how you'd get home and everyone will be gone. Then Carly said 'she'll think she missed the rapture!' "

Well… I guess it was a good laugh.

But then it's also a scary reality. Many people claim Christianity, and few have it. Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." The fact that we've been studying apostasy in the church for the past few weeks didn't help either. It drove something home for me: Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Because unlike the last days, there will be no "mark" on us Christians in this time.

Moral of the story… Always have a phone with you.

No, it's not. Work out your salvation.

(but it doesn't hurt to have a phone on you).

~H