It's Iceageddon!!
This is Texas, for crying out loud!! Who would have expected something like this
to happen to us? But isn’t life like
that sometimes. The unexpected happens
and we are forced to deal with it.
Having grown up in New England, a storm of this magnitude would have
hardly upset the normal rhythm of life, but New Englanders are prepared for
things like this. In Texoma there's a
meager supply of plows, salt, and shovels.
In our Massachusetts home, we were ready. We had a ample resources of rock salt, we had
shovels, we had sleds, we were ready for the winter storms. Living
in Texoma, I am not prepared and when you're not prepared disaster strikes. Preparation is critical!
This lack of preparation reminds me of one of Jesus'
stories, his story of the ten virgins waiting for a wedding banquet to begin.
(Matthew 25) A wedding was a spectacular
event in those days. It was a highlight
of an otherwise tedious life. Weddings
were the events you didn’t want to miss out on.
There were ten women all waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. I've heard that this is in keeping with the
custom of the day. People knew the groom
was going to come, but no one knew precisely when that would be. He would have some pre-wedding business to
take care of and would show up when that was completed. In Jesus' story five virgins were prepared.
They had extra oil for their lamps so they were prepared in the event
the groom came later than expected. The
other five had a limited supply of oil and when the announcement of the
bridegroom's arrival came, they were out.
They had to run to the nearest oil supply shop and while they were gone
the bridegroom arrived and they were left behind. They missed out because they were not
prepared. The five who missed out, whom Jesus
calls "foolish", never expected something like this to happen. The five who were prepared, whom Jesus calls
"wise", anticipated that sometimes the unexpected happens.
We can’t possible anticipate all the unexpected events of
life, but how can we be more prepared?
Here are some thoughts:
1. Learn things even
though you think you may never need that knowledge. In college, my degree was in Bible. I wanted to preach and so I prepared myself
for that future. Circumstances allowed
for me to get a minor as well. I enjoyed
chemistry so I decided to take a few extra classes to achieve a minor. After graduation, I was unable to land a ministry
job but there was a Christian school that needed someone to teach some science and
math. I was lucky enough to get that job
and for three years worked in that Christian school and was so blessed by the interaction
I had with those kids and made friends that have lasted my lifetime. I was prepared and an opportunity presented itself. I love this definition of luck - when
opportunity meets preparation. Although
you may never use some of the knowledge you obtain, the more you learn the more
prepared you will be!
2. Get some things
you think you may never use. This, of
course, could be an endless and foolish investment, but make some calculated
purchases that may prepare you for unlikely events. During this ice storm I was able to pull out
my waterproof, insulated boots that many winters sit in my closet
untouched. Even though they get used
only occasionally, they sure come in handy.
That also goes for my ice scraper.
Many winters it gets buried in my glove compartment, but his week it has
been a close friend! Winter coats, hats,
and gloves -- even though sparingly used -- have prepared me for this
weather! Use this unforeseen storm to
consider some emergency items you need to have in stock.
Jesus, of course, had more important things in mind than
jobs and cold weather when he told this story.
So let's make some spiritual application to Iceageddon.
1. Read the Bible and
study the Bible even when it appears there is no or very little value in that
knowledge. Having Scripture embedded in
your mind can and often does serve us well when the unexpected happens. Jesus used Scripture to combat the temptations
of Satan. (Matthew 4) Paul encouraged the young minster Timothy to "be
prepared in season and out of season" knowing that unexpected times will
arise when spiritual depth is necessary to survive (2 Timothy 4:2). Peter urges Christians to "always be
prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). Tough times often come. Tough questions are often posed. Unique opportunities often present
themselves. Those who weather the storms
and seize the opportunities are those who are prepared. Never underestimate the power of Biblical
knowledge and the advantages of having Scripture embedded in your heart!
2. Be ready for the
long haul by faithful service. This
recent storm was well predicted and people began to prepare by getting groceries
ion the event that they were iced-in. Fortunately,
I had gone to Sams a few days before the storm and bought those supersized
servings of some frozen meals. They came
in handy when we could pop some frozen dishes in the oven instead of having to
risk the icy roads. Perhaps this is Jesus'
primary teaching in this story - be prepared for the long haul. You never know when he'll come back, so stock
up on oil so you will prepared. How do
we do that? How do we keep a generous
supply of oil? After the story of the
ten virgins, Jesus tells two other stories - the story of the talents and the
story of the sheep and the goats. Read them
in Matthew 25. Both stories emphasize
the necessity of working, of using the talents we have, of serving people even
in small ways. Maybe that's how we keep
the supply of oil for our lamps - by using what God has given us and by seeking
ways to serve. Perhaps our spiritual
preparedness is self-perpetuated by spiritual service. Maybe the oil for our lamps is resupplied as
we work in God's kingdom and serve the needy.
Perhaps true service doesn’t deplete our supplies, but actually adds to
our supply. So, keep working. Don’t get lazy. Serve when service seems useless. Keep the oil flowing!
Iceageddon will soon be a memory, a story we will retell in years
to come. But hopefully even in the coldness
of this storm we can emerge as better people, more prepared than ever before!
Questions for discussion:
1. What have been some advantages of these recent
days as we have been forced to slow down and stay home?
2. How did you
prepare for this storm? What do you wish
you had done, but didn't?
3. When have you been prepared when others were
not?
4. What are some emergency items you have around
the house "just in case"?
5. How would you
summarize in a sentence what Jesus is trying to teach us in the parable of the ten
virgins?
6. What opportunities
have you missed out on that you now regret?
7. How do you keep
your spiritual oil well stocked?
No comments:
Post a Comment