Last week I was preparing for an important presentation I needed to give at work. This was a culmination of a 6-month leadership training boot-camp where we were to present on our final project to the Leadership and Management teams within the company.
It had been many years since I had given a presentation of this magnitude, and so I was a little rusty, a little stressed and pretty anxious about the whole thing. The thing was, I was prepared. I had put in the time to make sure the presentation was complete and polished. I had done my research and knew the content. But every time I would practice, I would get flustered and flub up my words and they would come out choppy and jumbled. I just couldn’t get it right.
It was getting into my head and I was starting to worry, and think too much. And then I read the readings for the following week to prepare for this reflection, and I was like, of course… I just need to relax, not worry, and clear my mind. Take a deep breath, release all the tension in my body. Jesus will give me the words to say. My final practice came out great, and so did the presentation the next day.
While not exactly the same situation as what Jesus is describing in the Gospel today – I was not speaking to adversaries who were persecuting me – I think there is a similar message.
Be prepared, do your research, know your content. Relax, don’t worry, and trust – trust in Jesus.
By doing do, by staying close to God, He will help you to handle and interpret your circumstances in life. He will shed light on what to say and what to do and how to act.
Or it’s like every time my wife and I have a conversation with my son about a test. “I don’t want to study…”, he says. “I will do it tomorrow.” Well son, the more you practice, the better you know the material, the better you are prepared and the less stress and anxiety you will have when you take the test… And the better you will do. You will just know the answers. You won’t have to think about it.
This is what I feel Jesus is saying today, that the more we know, the more we study and learn about Him, the more we build a relationship with Him through prayer, the better we will handle what life throws at us. We’ll know what to do.
We’ll be able to read between the lines in those times of confusion and uncertainty, and the better we will be able to solve those tough problems and situations we encounter. The better we’ll be prepared.
Let’s prepare. Let’s prepare for Advent and His coming. And let’s prepare for eternal life with Him.
