Wednesday, December 3, 2025: Advent Two

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.” (Matthew 25: 1 -5, New Living Translation)

                 I am terrible procrastinator. No wait, (pun unintended), I am terrific procrastinator.  I can put off doing something with the best of any postponer. I have always hated making phone calls; I am slow to respond to emails.  Case in point these days. I need to get my snow tires on my car. This is way late even for me. The problem is that the tires are in way, way up Peterborough at the dealership and I am way, way down here in Whitby. I have been putting the trip off for weeks. My painfully bad leg gave me a convenient excuse to put this off, but it is now getting better.  The truth of the matter is that I simply don’t want to make the drive there and back, an hour both ways. It is an inconvenient truth. I’ll get there; but not just today.

                I know the Psalms tell us that waiting is sometimes good.  “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 217:14) But I don’t think he was meaning procrastination or delaying what needs to be and should be done.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” (Psalm 37:7) But neither do I think we are supposed to twiddle our thumbs and find other distractions to delay the inevitable, that it is all up to God.

“For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God.” (Psalm 38:15) I am pretty certain that God is not going to change my tires for me; there are some things that I must do for myself.

 “My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me.” (Psalm 69:3) Most times, I have no one to blame but myself when my delays cause problems. Maybe it is true that God helps those who help themselves.

The foolish women in Jesus’ parable delayed in buying extra oil for their lamps.  They hadn’t accounted for the possibility that the groom would be late.  I have done a lot of weddings in my time, but I have never had a groom who was late for his own wedding. One bride was an hour late, once, but no groom.  There is no reason given for the groom’s tardiness. It is not especially relevant anyway. One can only think that Jesus’ words which he spoke just before he told this parable might apply here. “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42) The parable illustrates his point.

Procrastination can be costly idleness at its worse. At the last minute, just as the groom was arriving, the five foolish women’s lamps were empty and they needed to run down to the local Canadian Tire and buy more. I have, sometimes, wondered why the five other women refused to lend some of their oil. Wouldn’t that have been the charitable Christian thing to do? Perhaps, they only had enough for themselves and didn’t want to risk the same consequences that befell the foolish women. For those five missed the wedding. The doors were shut and locked against them. Cruel perhaps, but that is what procrastination will get you; nothing but grief. “Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.”  (Ecclesiastes 10:18) Literally and metaphorically and certainly spiritually.  

                It is Advent, a season of waiting and preparation for the coming of Christ into our world. How we prepare to wait and watch is critical for us to enjoy the experience of Bethlehem once again. Even though Christmas is always on December 25^th, there may be moments on the Advent journey which will surprise us with their poignancy, with evocative feelings, with praise and adoration, with thankfulness and blessings.  Those are those God-smacked moments when we realize that Jesus has arrived. It may catch us off guard, or being distracted or weary or busy or hurting or afraid but suddenly the Holy Spirit speaks to us and invites us into the Advent feast. Be ready for that! It may come at a grandchild’s Christmas concert. It may come by a unexpected phone call from an old friend. It may come via some cookies which a neighbour baked for you. But don’t ever forget why Jesus came and let your hearts open up to the possibility and be ready in those wonderful moments for awareness. Carry some extra oil in the form of hope, peace, joy and love. This little light of mine; I’m going to let it shine.

                “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.” (Psalm 62:5)

                Blessings on all, this Advent season!

 

Dale