No one knows when

Recently I began substituting in a local school district.  Initially I was apprehensive since the closest I came to teaching kids was teaching pre-school children at church.  I made an attempt at subbing in the high schools and quickly found that was not my niche.

Elementary is where its at for me.  I have taught at three schools that I really like.  Each of these schools has at least one pregnant teacher.  Two of the schools contacted me and asked if I was interested in a "long term" subbing position.  Long term just means a six week run until the teacher returns from maternity leave.  Washington Elementary*  asked me back in October and I committed to fill the spot.  I was told it would be sometime in February.

I since forgot about it and another school, Lincoln Elementary* contacted me about filling a long term spot beginning  Jan 7, 2013.  I said I would do it.  On January 7th, after the Christmas holidays I reported to the school.  I was told however that the teacher had not had the baby.  The front desk assistant stated "she was supposed to have the baby today!" The teacher however had reported to work since she had not had the baby and no one really knew when it would be born.  Having no position there, I proceeded to another school.

Two weeks passed with no word of a baby.  In the meantime, Washington Elementary contacted me and told me they would need me on February 14th and I told them I would be there.  The next day, I got a call from Lincoln Elementary and you can guess what I heard..."She had the baby and we need you today!" 

Today was not a problem...six weeks however was.  I explained to the assistant that I had just committed to a six week assignment at the other school.  She stated "but our teacher has already had the baby and we need you, you don't know when the other teacher will have her baby."  [Do not get me wrong, it's not that I'm that good or special.  Each of these schools has to have a bi-lingual teacher and they are hard to find.]

The problem was that no one knew when either baby was going to be born.  Oh yes, we get "due dates" but what does that really mean.....it means get ready! Bags are packed, hospital suites are in order, the overnight bag  is by the bed and then we wait.  No one knows!

In an attempt to help with the delima, I committed to teaching at Lincoln until the Washington teacher has her baby sometime in February. I will teach until I get the phone call telling me "she had the baby."  That could be days or weeks after the due date.

There have been many claims regarding when Christ will return.  Some claim to know the date...those dates have come and gone.  Some claim to know the year, they too have come and gone...others use stars, calendars, events and other such things to determine when He will return.  The fact is no one knows when that will be. 

The issue is not when He will return but will you be ready? When the time comes for a child to be born, it does not look at the circumstances, it does not care if you are in the theatre or a mall, it does not matter if it is the middle of the night, when the time is right, that baby's coming but we do not sit up at night and wait for it's arrival.  Why? Because no one knows when it will come.  

God had given us a charge to grow his kingdom.  We are to be the light to this dark world.  He is not willing that any should perish.  There is no calendar that hints, insinuates or accurately determines when He will return. Are you doing your part or are you going to be found unprepared?  The point is, He will return ....no one knows when.

Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:42-44

*School names have been changed for the purpose of this blog.