Enter In

What will it be like when we will be judged of our Heavenly Father? Is that an experience we should eagerly anticipate? Or is it a day of dread? Should we try and have all the joy that we can possibly have before that day when it all ends? I had several very enlightening experiences this past week that taught me important principles of being prepared for days of reckoning. A few months ago our mission decided to take a tour of the white house together. The process takes time and effort so few missionaries take the opportunity to take a tour there before their missions are over. I was so excited to be able to see part of the home where the leader of this great country resides. Many world changing and historical decisions have been made on those grounds, and I have a sense of reverence for the position of the President of the United States. 

We were told to submit our personal information for a background check to get security clearance to take the tour. When I got that email we were in the middle of preparing a report, so I quickly filled out the information and sent it off without thinking twice about it. As the day of the tour drew closer, I more eagerly anticipated this great opportunity to tour the white house and take a mission picture on the front lawn. Then my hopes were shattered. A list of all the participants was sent out last Tuesday, and my name wasn't on the list! I started to panic, but I looked back and saw the email I had sent, but then realized that I mistyped the email address! My application never went in, and there was no way for me to get clearance by Friday. I was devastated. A day that I was excited for became a day that I didn't want to come. There was a glimmer of hope because a brother in the ward I'm serving in is actually a member of the secret service. He went in to work that day to see if he could get me into the tour. I met him at the front of the line and he apologized because there was nothing he could do. In light of an individual who recently jumped the fence and got into the white house, security has become much tighter and the staff member that he appealed to rejected our request. It was so heartbreaking to walk away from the entire mission all lined up, leaving all my friends to enter in, while I remained outside. I realized, this must be the feeling of damnation. When we are not prepared to enter into the Lord's presence with our brothers and sisters so we have to be left outside. The statement Christ made about the true and faithful servant has taken new meaning for me.
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:21"

I want to be ready to enter into the presence of the Lord! I don't think that means that we need to be fully prepared today, but it does mean that we need to be more prepared than we were yesterday. I hope with all my heart I get to be there, and you get to be there with me, so let's get ready. :) and watch the typos!