Are we ready?

I'm looking all the photos, information and videos I can find about Japan and the big disaster that happen there. It all look like unrealistic Hollywood movie predicting the apocalypse. My brain can not process the information that this is real. I feel a trill and amusement seeing the big waves overwhelming the city... and than it hit me hard, the truth, that there is people crying out for help or already death in those houses, boats, cars...there are children inside, whole families, babies...Entire town of 10 000 people are gone in a second. My heart sink down, sadness overwhelmed me. How did they spend their last day before the earthquake? Did they worried about the finances, did they worried about not having car, or not prospering in the carrier, did they spend time with the loved ones telling them how much they love them? How many of them were believing in Jesus? Where they will be in eternity?:(

My friends that are not believing in Christ are  fearing the idea that the last days are coming. After this that happens in Japan and is happening all around the world you can not but think about the last days. It is all written in the Bible since long time ago:

 Matthew 24 

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

   ⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come....

 

Suddenly all of my worries and problems are vanishing in the light of the truth that Jesus is coming back. All I want it's to be ready for His coming to be faithful and to have my lamp burning for Him. Nobody knows when Jesus will come, only the Father knows. Maybe 100 years from now, maybe 500 years or maybe tomorrow. When Noah build the ark he was telling people about the big flood that will come and destroyed them if the don't repent and turn to God. But they didn't believed, they were laughing at him.On the end it was only Noah and his family that got saved. It will be the same in the last days.

I have a friend and she was so funny,some years ago she said to me : I don't want Jesus to come now, I want first to get married!:) I'm glad she is married now, but if we truly meditate on the idea that Jesus is coming to take us ( who are believing and following Him) as His bride together with Him in His joy, nothing, I mean nothing in this life and earth can be more beautiful and desiring then that.The apostles had that focus all the time.They were thinking that Jesus will come back soon, no wonder they were ready to give there life and nothing else took their attention except Christ Himself. And where is our focus?

Nobody knows when we will die, but it is sure we will all die one day.What if the tomorrow never comes for some of us? Yes, it is horrible idea but is so possible.

My town Skopje was flatten by earthquake many times in the history. The last time that happened it was around 48 years ago in  6 in the morning when people were sleeping...many of them never woke up.The city was flatten to the ground.We can pretty much understand the pain, lost and sorrow of Japanese people in this hard times.

I really hope and pray for myself , for my family and for others, that our hearts will be ready for His coming no matter when that will be.

In the bus

I waked early in the morning while the gray and rainy clouds were lingering over Skopje inviting my feelings to sail with them in the sea of glumness. I hide under the blanket, trying to enjoy the warmness of my nest just a few more seconds. I set the alarm on snooze 3 times in a row, losing my sense of time. Under the blanket in the darkens I 'm trying to remember what was I dreaming...what was I planing to do today?....what day is it today?!...what should I wear at work?...
Couple of minutes later I 'm in the bus on my way to work. The bus is older then me, dirty and dusty, I have strange feeling that I'm in Afghanistan. A lot of people in the bus this morning, different kind of face's. Their cloths are showing the material situation and position they have in the society. There is more women then men in the bus. Every one of them carry a story of her life with her. Whats her story? What are they thinking? Where are they going? Are they analyzing me as I analyze them? Most of them look down at the bus floor avoiding eye contact. Suddenly I'm very aware of my shoes.What are they thinking about my shoes... I forgot to clean them this morning?!
On the way to my work there is school for kids with special needs. A father with his son with a special needs always seat on the bus seats across me. His son is smiling to me. I smile back. We always set in the same seats, it's unwritten rule we respect. Usually the father is tickling the boy trying to make him laugh and he always succeed in that. This morning the father was looking through the window lost in his thoughts, the two strong lines on his forehead were showing the heaviness of his thoughts. What was he thinking about?... And what is it with me and this obsession to know peoples life and thoughts???
The bus door opened and old lady tried to climbed in. She had big bags full with fruits and vegetables.What on earth is she doing so early at the market?!! The steps of the bus were so high that her old husband was pushing her behind helping her to climb in. A girl stud up and give hand to the old lady. Why It didn't occur to me that I can help?! I'm a bit disappointed in my self and my lack of thoughtfulness. They sat close to me, breathing heavily, exhausted from claiming the bus steps. The bus door didn't close properly and cold wind was blowing in the bus lifting the dust up high. I lift my shal covering my mouth and turn to the other side looking down  through the window were I spotted lonely driver who was driving a nice warm car. "He must be very lonely in that car"..."He need to try the bus sometime it's much more fun!":) I'm laughing to my self and my ways of trying to see things positively. 
A horrible folk song start playing loud and after a while a man realize it's his cell phone so finally he answered. He couldn't hear the person who called so he start talking really loud. There will be no need  for me to guess his problem and thoughts this morning, I already heard everything.
The journey to the work is long. I put me i Pod . Suddenly someone is talking Norwegian to me asking me for pølse med brød og to epler. Oh , no, I forget to change the Norwegian lesson on my i Pod with music.:(. Never mind, I will sing quietly to my self. The silly folk song is already in my head and I know I'm stock with it til the end of the day.
People are slowly leaving the bus. I'm last to stay since I get down on the last bus station. A dusty constriction worker is also there. They build new buildings on the last bus stop. I'm getting down from the bus and the new buildings are rising victoriously in front of me. I start wondering who will live there and what their story will be?
I find my way to the office and couple of minutes later I'm in front of my Mac with big cup of tea next to me, working on the new teen book that we will need this summer; in the background Dinah Washington is singing  her wonderful "What a difference a day makes".