Okay!  I admit it.  I didn’t think that the current doomsday upheaval deserved any more attention than it was already getting over the airwaves.  The Scriptures are pretty clear that we won’t know when the Lord will return.  Therefore, May 21 at 6pm was not my biggest concern one week after my husband died and two weeks before Special Gathering ministry takes 200 special needs people to Vero Beach for a four day retreat.

However, it was a concern for many of our members who are intellectually disabled but who watch and understand TV news.  As I stood in front of our Melbourne program on Sunday morning, I laughingly said, “Well, guess you know we are all still here and the rapture didn’t happen.” When I noticed that most of our members weren’t smiling, I asked, “How many of you were concerned?”  Most of their hands went up in the air.

Because few of our teachers and chapel leaders were concerned or knew about the coming news hype regarding this issue, it had not been addressed last week at our weekly chapel services.  However, as the week had waned and Saturday approached, I became increasingly interested in the reaction of many people I know who are not Christians and who knew that I am committed to Christ.  “What do you think?” I was asked several times.

Trying to calm the fear that was etched on their faces, I said, “Jesus said that we would not know the day or the hour.  He said that he didn’t know and the angels didn’t know.  Only the Father knows, therefore, this preacher cannot know.  But,” I continued to explain, “we can be ready no matter what happens.  Jesus wants us to realize that he loves us enough to forgive our sins and make us God’s child.  All we need to do is ask him.”

While I knew this was a big hoax, I also know that this is the thing that we, as Christians, have been living to happen.  Christ’s return will be a great and glorious day for us.  We have no need to fear or be concerned regarding his return.  Given the choice of eternal paradise and living here with the hurt, fears and concerns of life, is there really a choice.