Monday, December 24, 2012

I Want to Be Ready


I have this recurring nightmare. In the nightmare, I am getting married - only, everything is going wrong. For some reason, no one is ready for the wedding. The flowers aren't ready. The dress doesn't fit. The guests don't know when to come. Everything is being thrown together at the last minute. Everything is halfway done. Nothing is quite right. We finally get to the church, late, of course. I get hastily dressed into the ugly wedding dress that doesn't fit. I don't have any bridesmaids to help me. When I finally walk down the aisle, it's the wrong guy. I feel very anxious about marrying him. I want someone to come and rescue me from this huge mistake I'm about to make, but no one comes.

This dream made more sense to me before I actually got married, to the right guy, with the beautiful dress, the gorgeous flowers, the sweet friends around me, the guests filling the pews, the vow between me, Casey, and God to do this thing for life. So, when I kept having the dream, even after July 24th, 2010, it really perplexed me. And made Casey laugh. I mean, how silly is it to be anxious about something that's:already happened! If I'm gonna be anxious, it should probably be about something that hasn't yet happened, right?

So, last night with our church family, we looked at a parable that Jesus told in Matthew 25:1-13

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. the wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. the bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 

At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. the foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'

'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 

Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'

But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I dont' know you.'

Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

As we read this, my recurring nightmare came to mind. And I wondered if maybe I've had this dream over and over just for sake of illustrating this parable. Just so I would know the anxiety, the dread, the utter helplessness felt for those who are not ready for the Bridegroom's coming. Lord, I want to be ready! I want to be watchful. I want to be longing for my Bridegroom's return, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He. Is. Coming.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going...I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:1-4, 6)

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