What are you waiting for?


25“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13)?

“Are we there yet?” (Every kid on every trip every where).

When I was a little kid, every Saturday morning, after our chores were done, Dad would give all of us an allowance.  For a long time, my allowance was 10 cents.  This was a lot of money for a little kid – I could buy a bag of chips and a full-sized chocolate bar for 10 cents at the corner store.  But I always felt slightly envious of my older brothers who got (I think?) a quarter for their allowance – because they could get a can of pop too! 

That can of pop looked awfully good to me as an 8 year old that had just downed a bag of salt and vinegar chips and a chocolate bar and so was thirsty thirsty thirsty.  I couldn’t WAIT until I was old enough to get a quarter for my allowance.

Fast forward a number of years and my allowance had increased to $2.00 a week but it seemed that that $2.00 still could only buy me a bag of chips and a chocolate bar, and now my longings were more expanded to include things like concert tickets and travel to other cities.  Or maybe the occasional new lipstick in the coolest new colour.  I dreamed of the time when I had my own job with my own money so I could live in my own place and buy my own stuff. I couldn’t WAIT until I was old enough to be independent.

Then I couldn’t WAIT to finish school.  Then have a family.  Then get the newest job.  Then go back to school.  Then finish school.  Then go back to school (o.k. I’m noticing a trend here).

It seems that I have had a whole life time of things that I couldn’t WAIT to do; but then when they came, I barely noticed that I was there.  I kept longing for a destination and when it came I just looked for the next destination. 

And I wonder today, ifwe’ve stopped appreciating that we are “there” because we’re too busy looking for the next place to be? 

In church circles, we always are looking for what we should ‘become’ – how we should be visioning a future or discerning God’s direction in our lives.  Today I wonder, if the question really needs to be “Where are we right now?” .Because maybe this is the place we’ve been waiting for; preparing for; anticipating and discerning our whole lives of faith.  Maybe this IS the destination.  Maybe the Bridegroom has finally shown up and we were to tired of the journey that we weren’t ready for this arrival.  Or we are too busy looking for the next thing to notice that God is on our doorstep. 

Maybe this, right here and right now, is what God wants for all of us. 

This time.  This place.  This might just be what we’ve all been waiting for and longing for for so long.  But we (ok.  Royal ‘we’ again.  Whenever you see that just substitute ‘I”) need to stop, to light our(my) lamps and look around.  Recognize that God is here in this moment.  And so are we (am I). 

Fully present in the life here.  The life now.  Knowing that God is also here in this place and our job is to keep the lamps lit so that others can also see in the dark.

A time where waiting is over.  This is the time of our lives.

Blessings today my dear Bethel friends and remember you are Loved.

Rev. Lynne


2 thoughts on “What are you waiting for?”

Leave a Comment