This past Friday evening, I checked the schedule on my phone, as I often do, and noticed that there wasn’t a “dot” on my Saturday. Now, I have an iPhone and if there is something that I have planned on a particular date, a dot shows up for that day when looking at the month view, and I have many dots. Well, after noticing this, I declared that on Saturday, I would do absolutely nothing!
On Saturday, I woke up and went back to sleep at least a dozen times, with no apologies. I think it was to prove to myself that I didn’t have anything to do. When I finally got out of bed, I prayed and my “do absolutely nothing” declaration quickly changed. I decided that I would clean my house. As I began cleaning, I felt that “Saturday morning deep clean” spirit (y’all know what I’m talkin about) come over me. I turned on my music and got to it. I cleaned for hours, like, I couldn’t smell anything but cleaning products, even after I’d left home (I think that’s bad…. LOL). My sister called while I was wiping down the top of my refrigerator, and I jokingly told her that I was “cleaning like I had company coming over for Christmas, but I don’t.” I cleaned until this one bedroom apartment was spotless, then I cleaned some more. I’m pretty sure I cleaned the clean.
Well, fast forward to today (or yesterday because it’s after midnight where I am), Christmas day. My nephew came over early because my sis had to work a few hours. He opened gifts, had birthday cake (he’s a Christmas baby), baked cookies, and ate dinner at my house. My sister joined us and we even had cousins come to hang with us, and all in my spotless home. You see, I was prepared although I didn’t know I needed to be. I don’t have many guests (if any) so I hadn’t anticipated having any on today. But I have been praying for God to bring my family closer together and to present more opportunities for us to share space and time. Well, He allowed part of that prayer to manifest in my home. The cleaning of my apartment prepared me for my family to visit. God showed me, through this, that there are so many things that I’ve asked Him for, but He had been waiting for me to begin preparing myself for them. I couldn’t have company until my home was clean…. visitor clean (you know there’s a difference). Lately, I have been doing a lot of “prep work” for things that God has promised me. See, the fulfilling of promises doesn’t lie solely on the promise maker, but we gotta be ready for those promises to be fulfilled.
The same applies to things that you’ve been praying and waiting for. God wants you to begin preparing for those things to happen. God won’t give you that new house if you and your kids never clean that two bedroom apartment. And why would He grant you that promotion that you’ve been begging for if you always show up to work late and half do your job? Yes, God hears you, yes He did promise you, but He wants you to be ready for what He has for you. If you’re not ready, you’ll ruin it. There is power in preparation, don’t forget that. The Bible says in James 2:26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” You can believe all you want for the things that you’ve prayed for and you can declare everyday that it will come to pass, but you gotta put in the work that is required. And in case you were wondering, yes, sometimes the prep hurts. When you get a filling at the dentist, that shot before the tooth is fixed is TERRIBLE but it is needed to prepare you for what comes next.
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” (Matthew 7:7). If you never ask, seek, or knock, you won’t get, find, or have the door opened. The next verse says, “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:8). Verse eight lets us know that God is gonna do it. He “promises” that if you do those things first, He got you. You never know when God will be dropping that blessing off at your door, or to your clean kitchen. Clean that house. Be prepared.
I pray you all had an amazing Christmas. I’m praying for you guys during this holiday season.
Love y’all (I really do!)
Ms. A.M.White