Coming Soon

A small billboard on a vacant lot near my office proclaims “Coming soon –“Mirage Storage.” I’ve driven past it many times, but it wasn’t until this morning that I read what it said.

I’ve seen the artist’s rendering of what the building will look like, but I haven’t paid attention to the promise it makes. The grand irony is the name of the building... yes, a mirage indeed. Perhaps the joke is on me.

And yet this morning, its impact was more than a simple play on words. It reminded me of the times when I’ve posted similar signs in my life.

“COMING SOON...”

Really? Can I predict the future? Do I know what the economy will do? What the doctor will say? What the weather will bring? Can I guarantee what others will say or how they will react?

It’s wise to plan for the future, but for Christians there needs to be an echo in our souls that says, “If the Lord wills.” There isn’t anything magical about saying it, but it helps us acknowledge that our Father, the God of the universe, is ultimately in control. He knows what I cannot perceive. His will trumps our plans.

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” ~ James 4:13­-17 (ESV)

“If the Lord wills...” is not an excuse to be sloppy or lazy, rather it’s an invitation to recognize His sovereign design. It’s an attitude that encourages us to rest in the midst of working hard. It frees us to sweat without worry and encourages a humble confidence.

COMING SOON...

What the Father wills... Start building your life there.