Foolish and Wise

I've often said in my blog that I feel that God makes us ready for certain things when He knows we are ready, not when we feel like we are ready. I've experienced the pain of wanting something so badly and not getting it. I have cried for months on end, praying, begging God to bring this person or that person back into my life because dear GOD, my life would not be complete. And when He doesn't deliver, I've turned my back on God, cursed His name and tried everything within my power to get what I want, only to be pushed down even further. And I am only able to pick myself back up when I let go completely, and let God carry me and deliver me safe. 


I think that is the challenge not only with Christians, but with everyone who ever lived. We cannot let go sometimes and only after agonizing over agonizing attempt on our own, we finally give up to some other power, we live and let live. 


Yesterday in church, I read the parable of the ten virgins who went out to wait for the bridegroom to arrive at the wedding. Five were foolish and five were smart. The smart virgins took extra oil to replenish their lamps, the foolish only took their lamps with no extra oil. The foolish virgins did not find it necessary because they "knew" when the bridegroom was going to arrive. However, contrary to what they originally believed, the bridegroom was late for the wedding and all ten virgins fell asleep. The smart virgins were able to relight their lamps to go out and greet him, while the foolish had to go into the market to purchase more. By the time they had gotten back to the festivities, the doors had been locked. They tried to get in, but the bridegroom simply told them, I do not know you. The scripture ends, be alert because you never know when he might get here!
(Matthew 25: 1-13) click on link for entire story


The story here isn't necessarily about the virgins and who was smart or who was foolish. It is about the bridegroom and his tardiness. The parables are stories that relate God to humanity. In this case, God is late. And oftentimes in our own lives, God is not on time. We believe as Christians, that we should get some kind of immediate benefit from being a follower of Christ. When I cry out to the Lord to deliver me from my pain, I feel as though I should be healed immediately. And why not? I love God, and I accept Jesus as my savior. I  want immediate redemption. 


But life as a Christian isn't about immediate results. We are not in a sprinting race to God, we are more than anything running a marathon. Sometimes discipleship is long, slow, painful. But even when God is late, we have to be patient and stick around. It is easy to give up on God when he doesn't deliver, but like the "smart virgins," we need to be prepared.