Listen:
Matthew 25:1-13
At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten young bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Now five of them were wise, and the other five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t bring oil for them. But the wise ones took their lamps and also brought containers of oil.
“When the groom was late in coming, they all became drowsy and went to sleep. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the groom! Come out to meet him.’
“Then all those bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. But the foolish bridesmaids said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps have gone out.’
“But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘No, because if we share with you, there won’t be enough for our lamps and yours. We have a better idea. You go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were gone to buy oil, the groom came. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding. Then the door was shut.
“Later the other bridesmaids came and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us.’
“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
“Therefore, keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour.
Consider:
Waiting is hard…so often we don’t really want to have to wait, we don’t actually prepare for the wait, do we? The whole concept of “hurry up and wait” is a cliche because none of us actually want to do the waiting. In a world of 20 second tik tok reels and instant gratification shipping in 2 days or less, we can’t find a way to still ourselves, fully prepare ourselves for a waiting time. At the very least we show up with less patience, less awareness, less fortitude that is generally required in “waiting well.” (we show up with not enough oil for our lamps!!) So, what does wise waiting look like What preparations can you make when you know you’re entering a period of unanswered waiting? What might it look like to show up fully prepared for the waiting? Remember, sometimes the waiting results in something bigger, more powerful, more meaningful that we ever imagined! To use another cliche…sometimes, it’s worth the wait!
Respond:
Individual: Do you remember how exciting the week before your birthday used to be? Or perhaps Christmas? Think back to a time when the excitement of what was to come was something joyful! Or perhaps, do you remember having to wait on that flu shot that you REALLY didn’t want to get? Think on the excitement, or perhaps anxiety, of that waiting, and think about how you would encourage courage, or calm, to that once upon a time child while waiting for that next thing. What would you say to your young self? How might those words apply today?
Family: Talk about a time when you had to wait for something big…a trip, a gift, a party, something that felt BIG in your family world. How did the waiting change the experience itself (if at all?) What things did you do to practice patience or stay calm during the wait? Was the waiting worth the end result?
Pray:
God, we feel tugged to slow down and hurry up at the same time. Waiting without knowing what’s next feels impossible. Give us pause enough to breathe in the calmness of a moment spent waiting, and the excitement of knowing that your gifts are “worth the wait.”
Amen
