The scheduled activities never seemed to end. She didn't want it to end. But she did. She couldn't figure out how she was unable to balance it all when her best friend could. She was calm, sincere, and happy. She seemed to be not just content but fulfilled. She, on the other hand, was the mom always late for drop off and pick up. Late because she couldn't drag herself out of the bed in the morning. Her kids were always hyper because they were feeding off her anxiousness. She knew this was suppose to be the happiest time of her life. Honestly, it just wasn't. But what kind of a person would admit to that?
The phone rang and it startled her. She let the machine get it. Her best friend was leaving her a message reminding her of bible study tomorrow morning. "Ugh" she thought. "I haven't even done the homework! Honestly, I'm too tired" she said to the machine. She picked the phone up and called her friend back. "Hey! Listen, I'm exhausted. I haven't done the homework. I haven't seen my husband in 3 nights. All three kids are in school tomorrow. I really need some me time. I think I'm going to go to the tennis clinic instead." The phone was quiet. Her best friend sweetly said "Okay, next time. If you want to talk you know where to find me. Love you."
They had been best friends since they were 3 years old. Frick and Frack. Inseparable. Same church. Same neighborhood. Same grade school, middle school,and high school. They went to two different universities but were sisters in the same sorority. They both married boys that were high school friends and later fraternity brothers. They each had three children. And yet she realized her friend was truly happy. And she wasn't. She loved her kids, her husband, her house, her friends~sometimes~ but there was a void. She jumped when her cell phone vibrated. Her best friend was sending her scripture again. She snapped outloud "Geez! Enough already! I get it! You are happy. That's just not my everything right now". She looked down at the message:
"I love you have a good night. oxox 'Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgement has come;Worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and springs of waters' "-Revelation 14:7
The text brought her such sorrow. She couldn't place her finger on it. A tear dropped onto the placemat at the table. Life between them had been strained. Different. Her best friend had rededicated her life to Christ. Her whole world was now God, husband, children, and Jesus friends. In that order.
And just like that things changed. She stopped going to Bunco opting for couples bible study. They dropped out of supper club in exchange for a house church. Slowly through the year they had drifted apart. She was happy for her best friend but she didn't get it. Those women were smart, attractive and sweet but they were weird. All they cared about was world events, natural disasters and looking for Jesus to return. She knew He would. She was raised in the church. But honestly, right now, she wanted to play tennis at the club while her kids were in school. She and her husband had been saving for a place at the beach. She wanted to see her kids excel in academics, sports, and to get married. There would be plenty of time for bible study when they were older. Getting all three kids dressed and to church on Sunday was bound to count for something, right?
She got up from the table and put her empty wine glass in the dishwasher. She was about to head upstairs when she heard her husband drive up. "Hey! How was your day handsome?" She was so excited to see him. He looked beat. He gave her a quick hug and peck on the cheek. "Babe, I'm dead I'm going to go on to bed you coming up?" "In a second" she said. She walked over to the bible study book that was laying on the kitchen island. She opened it up to the homework that was due tomorrow. The book was called Escape the Coming Night by David Jeremiah. They were studying the book of Revelation, the Rapture, the Tribulation. All very scary. All very complicated. Why should current day Middle East troubles effect her life anyway? "Can't we just continue loving everyone like Jesus? Shower people in love and grace? Seriously, like when did that not become enough?" she thought. Repentance, wars, politics, Israel, scary things. They were just not on her radar. She didn't understand them. Honestly she saw no pressing need to take her mind there.
The homework question she had ended on was "How is the knowledge of prophecy and the end times changing you? How should it?" She sighed heavily. She knew she should be praying with her kids more. She knew that she and her husband needed to be praying together. It was just awkward and embarrassing. She knew she needed to understand the Middle East and Israeli politics. But she just didn't care. Yet something deep inside told her it was important. She decided that she would set the alarm for 3:30AM get up and do the homework. She could then take a shower and lay back down for an hour before everyone else got up in the morning. As she slid under the covers she reached over and patted her husbands back "Night. I love you". "You too I want to hear about your day in the morning okay?" And with that they were both asleep.
She had tossed and turned all night. She thought at one point she had heard a faint blowing of a horn. She had slept through the 3:30AM alarm. "Well, I had already told her I wasn't going so I guess it's okay" she thought to herself while making the kids breakfast. She walked over and turned on the news. She couldn't believe her eyes. She switched stations. Every station was the same. Panicked she ran upstairs "Scott! Scott! Come see this NOW!" Her husband sleepily stumbled into the kitchen. He sat down at the breakfast table and looked at the commentator on the national news. His face went completely white. She immediately thought to call her best friend. Her husband called his friend. No answer at either number. She called the kids to come down for breakfast. They still hadn't come down. She sent her husband upstairs. He came back down into the kitchen looking as if he had seen a ghost. "Babe, they are gone". "What do you mean they are gone?!" she screamed. At that moment the phone rang. She raced for the receiver "Good morning, we were just calling to let you know that your tennis lesson is still on for this morning despite the breaking news".
She dropped the phone to the kitchen floor. She got down on her knees and wept. "Scott" she sobbed as she clung to her husband "She was right. She knew! She tried to tell me and I ignored her." Panic gripped around her throat "He came last night! And we missed Him. Our babies! Our friends! They're gone! We missed Him! We've been left. Oh dear Lord, please, please forgive me!".
"Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who
live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close
at hand--" Joel 2:1
