Never Too Late!

Often, when I heard about the stories and parables that I read in the Bible, I’ve judged the actions of those characters. “If I were him/her, I wouldn’t have done that foolish thing. I would have listened to God and done the right thing.” I thought to myself. But later I found out that, even if those people didn’t do the right thing, I do not have the right or authority to judge them. For example:

The parable of the Ten Virgins: Matthew 25 (NIV)

1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps…. 6 at midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’” But the wise virgins said ‘No’ because they could run out of oil too! So the foolish virgins went out to buy some oil for their lamps. 10"…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.” The foolish virgins came later saying, ‘Let us in’ but the bridegroom replied, (12) 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'

They learned a pretty hard lesson, and they learned it in a very hard way! I can relate to that, because I as a human am constantly making mistakes. Even when I set my mind to watch out and not fall into the same ditch twice, it happens anyway. I think God allows this to happen because he wants me to realize that I’m no big deal, I am just a human in need for God’s help. He wants me to recognize how great He is instead of gaining all the glory for me.

When I was about ten years old, we lived in McAllen, TX. On a warm, sunny day my mother had planed a picnic outing with some of our friends from school and my family. My brothers and I were allowed to come on one condition: that we clean up our rooms and finish our homework. I worked all day, the day before, trying to clean up my room, but I tried to make mom forget that I had to finish my homework. By the time we were leaving, I said to my mother, “I’m ready, my room is so clean and I am taking a few things with me!!” I saw a compassionate love in her eyes that did not want to leave me behind, but I knew that I had not met all the requirements for me to go on that outing. My heart sank in disappointment. I ran to my room, tears dripping furiously from my face, and threw myself on my bed, before my mother even said a word to me. I knew the decision I had made, was irreversible. I regretted my actions forever, because I could not forgive myself for being such a fool, knowing I could have done better than that. That lesson of obedience I learned that day, was branded into my memory, although I still commit mistakes, I remember that day and know that even though I learned that lesson too late to be able to go to that outing, I could still use that example to keep me from doing the same thing over.

Going back to judging others, I must admit I have judged people not too long ago, and I regret it.

My Literature teacher assigned for us (the students) to read about “MYTHOLOGY”. I was 100% against reading that, I thought I would be lead astray from my faith or that it was a sin to study Mythology. I hated it, I must be honest. I really did not like that idea. The next year of being in this class, we studied MORE MYTHOLOGY. As I studied, read and answered the questions the teacher asked, I began to realize that this was not as bad as it seemed. I read about the caste system, reincarnation, humanism and so many more things in people’s religion that were horrifying to even know about. “GOD is AMAZING!!!!” I thought to myself. I studied about these great civilizations which had such a bad life because of their “gods” and I was sitting there, not realizing how great my God really is. So even when I judged my teacher I cannot say that it was a lesson learned too late. I DO judge, but now I am trying to keep my mind and heart from committing that same sin again, by placing myself in God’s hands. He is all-powerful, He knows all things, but best of all:

GOD LOVES ME UNCONDITIONALLY!!!!