I spent most of my working career in the wireless industry as a radio frequency engineer. The period before health issues forced me to retire was a very enjoyable time. My primary function was to work with customers and sales to provide cellular coverage within the buildings where coverage did not exist. I worked on projects from small offices to hospital and large sports stadiums.
But the most memorable was the year I spent preparing for the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota in ’08. The project started out innocent enough with questions about how many calls we could handle and what coverage we had at facilities such as the Minneapolis Convention Center and the Xcel Center Arena. Then the questions came in about coverage at the joint forces military base on the Minneapolis St Paul airport. That question was a bit surprising. Why did they need that?
Well, it seemed that the FBI, who was providing security for all the federal official, wanted a command center. That seemed reasonable to me. But when they added to Secret Service to the list of customers we were taken back. Normally, where the Secret Service is active, so too the President be.
Now, we knew what work needed to be done and kinda when the President was coming, but we did not know the exact hour. There were signs to watch for such as people showing up at the command center, the preparation of the facilities for the convention and even the start of the convention. But at what time was President Bush arriving. We did not know.
There was one sign that those of us who monitored the system from Regional Network Center expected to see when he did come. That was a period of increased in voice and data usage as people reacted with excitement by making calls, texting and sending photo’s to friends and family.
Well, the convention arrived with much hoopla, party’s and riots. When the last day arrived and we watched stats to see the sign of his coming, an increase in voice and data usage from the Xcel Center.
But it never came. It seemed we did not fully understand what the signs of his comings were. We failed to take into account what the Secret Service was going to do to protect the President. Very simply, they interfered with all wireless communications without telling anyone before hand (they can legally do that.) The end result was no one could make a call from the Xcel Center when the President was on site. There went our sign and the end result? We missed the sign of Presedent George Bush’s arrival because we did not fully understand those signs. We were ignorant of one sign (whatever the reason, it did not matter) and we missed him. Because we were not fully prepared by knowing and understanding the signs, we missed him.
My experience brings to mind the story that Jesus told of the 10 bridesmaids who were waiting for the bridegroom. They were to wait with lamps lite in anticipation of his coming. Five of the maids had brought extra supplies but five did not and while they were off resupplying , because their lamps when out, the bridegroom came and took the five remaining into the the building which was locked.
The maids had to prepare and watch and be ready. They had to watch work and wait which they did not.
Christ is returning, physically someday. This the Bible says. But when? God has givens us signs in his Word but we don’t know the millennium, century, decade or day when He will arrive. Are we like the five wise maids and are prepared or like the five foolish bridesmaids who missing His coming because we are not prepared?
Do you know the signs?
No? Learn them
Yes? Review them, recite them and prepare yourself.