Time For The Wedding

There is a song we used to sing as children, that was based on Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast (Luke 14). Many of you may have sung it.

“I cannot come to the banquet, don’t trouble me now.
I have married a wife; I have bought me a cow.
I have fields and commitments that cost a pretty sum.
Pray, hold me excused, I cannot come…”

As a child you can’t blame me for thinking how rude, selfish, and unkind those invited guests were. I imagined them to be people who considered themselves as non believers, those not having an interest in spiritual things.

The words to the song lay dormant for me for years…then it happened. I found myself in the fast lane. There was a deadline for the new calendar, and it was far from ready. I was asked to format my husband’s book and prepare it for printing. My duties as wife, and our three businesses, didn’t stop either. Then if that wasn’t enough, our youngest daughter got engaged and only gave me two months to prepare for her wedding. I felt like I was spinning. Only the things that demanded my attention the loudest got it. There was no time for contemplation. My blog writing came to a screeching halt and my time in my Bible was brief. It wasn’t because of rebellion or even a lackadaisical attitude…it was simply from overload. I found myself daily saying things like– “I will do that after the wedding” or “once things slow down I’ll get to it.” The thing about being busy is that once one busy thing is finished there always seems to be another to take its place.

I was out in the yard trimming our tree for the wedding when the childhood song crept back into my active memory. It was then that it hit me. The guests who were invited to the banquet weren’t casual acquaintances, these were the bridegroom’s friends. They knew each other well and perhaps so well that they felt comfortable enough to ask to be excused, after all He would understand. Let this thought sink in, ponder it a minute. Did it end well for him?

So what is the answer, where do you turn when life gets so busy you can’t keep up? “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need (Matt. 6:33 NLT).” Yes, everything, and EVERYTHING includes time!

Like I do with any obstacle I come to, I prayed and claimed promises. I reminded God of Philippians 4:19 “My God will supply all your (my) needs” and my need was time!

God’s answers started to tumble in. Someone offered to host the Bridal shower. Then I heard of a friend who would be traveling to our town and agreed to pick up the new calendars and deliver them, freeing up an entire day. Day after day until the wedding, when things finally slowed down, God supplied my need of time.

We have entered a new year, and with it I started a new Bible Journal. On the back of the cover I wrote in silver ink “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 NLT