Of Cracker Crumbs & Fleeting Pleasures

Have you ever had an experience in which you'd decided the lesser of two choices only to find out that you'd chosen poorly? Another words, you got the fuzzy end of the sucker. But in the heat of the moment you were so sure of what you wanted that a second thought would have been foolish! Or, perhaps a second thought didn't even occur.

Such are the ways of life. Sometimes we choose more wisely than others. Sometimes we make a more conscious effort to better our lives than going with a whim. Whether conscious or not the results are what must be dealt with. Granted, sometimes the decisions embarked upon call for more severe consequences. Take for example this story:

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, ³ and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. ⁴ Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ ⁵ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. ⁷ The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. ⁹ Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ ¹⁰ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.¹¹ “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. ¹² And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen.”   Matthew 22: 1-14

One cannot help but wonder why those guests which were invited to the marriage feast should have refused. Why would they not join in the celebration of another's rejoicing? What was more pressing and important that no matter the amount of beckoning was applied a deaf ear was only given? Where had the honor gone?

The king says, "The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy." Ouch. Swift consequence was brought about to those 'murderers'.  The guests had forfeited their invitation. And instead the king reaches out to whoever wants to attend.

The marriage feast is full. However, as the king surveys all his guests he finds one who is not in proper attire. His lack of appropriate etiquette causes him to be bound and cast out into outer darkness. Swift and extreme punishment, don't you think?


Perhaps my reader is wondering what this post has to do with crackers. A number of years ago,  a speaker compared leaning on 'her own understanding' of the time she was flying on a certain airline in which she'd been upgraded due to traveling complications thus allowing her to receive a hot meal(yes, they actually did that at one point, though to you you're probably scratching your head... but that was the case). For one reason or another she settled for her crackers at the bottom of her purse. After those around her had been served a more satisfactory meal she began to chide herself. How could she have opted to 'settle' for the cracker crumbs and miss out on the feast which could have been hers?

Lord I Need You 

Consider yet another picture. In Lord of the Rings, we find Gollum as a fine citizen however, overtime he becomes possessed by the ring he finds which he believes will bring him happiness and who knows what. He turns into this despicable being who thinks of nothing more than 'his precious'. In the end 'His precious' ends up controlling him and robbing him of joy and happiness.


Bringing it closer to home...

In life we are faced with many a decision. Some are given deep thought, others, well not so much...depending on the flavor. If it is to our liking then we want to come up with all the possible pros. However, if it is a more serious matter then we sleep on it. What you eat, drink and wear perhaps to you doesn't have much weight. But who your friends are, the activities you choose to engage in, school/college you attend, work and marriage should be taken into serious consideration before jumping head long into. ...But, what about the every day trips we make over words which come out and inflict injury, or, actions which have a lasting effect? The thoughts which no one can see? Or the meditation of your heart? As human beings we try to excuse it. It's natural. In other words, don't take lightly the little things which seem to be of no importance lest you find yourself settling for crumbs. God has so much more for you...more than what you're willing to settle with. Don't cheat yourself.

8/15/2013