Preparation is a "condition" that many people do not like. I, for one, fit into that same boat. I don't like to prepare. I don't like preparing to go on trips. I don't like preparing for cold weather, hot weather, to go on trips or anything else. I am more of a big picture person. I like it all when we are there, but the preparation is a phase that I wish that I could skip.
I have known all along that preparation is an important phase of anything, but I am learning in more and more now. If you don't prepare for a trip then you won't have what you need when you get there. If you don't prepare for the cold, then your pipes may burst. In the same way, there is preparation that needs to take place for God's body to grow and be what He wants.
We prepare in lots of ways. We prepare with prayer. We prepare with study of His word. We prepare by searching ourselves and seeing what He wants us to adjust to in life and according to who He is. We have to be prepared for what God brings; this includes blessing. God will not send people or anything else until we are prepared to handle what He sends.
The Quest, and I, are going through preparation. Just as the apostles prepared for the coming Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, we are preparing for what God has coming for us. This time of preparation is key. God is proving Himself to us, but also challenging us to grow, trust, and rely on Him more and more. I can't wait to see what He is up to.
In the meantime, I have some preparation to take care of. It isn't always fun, but if I want to fully receive and enjoy the fun then I have to be ready.