Left Behind

When I was in fifth grade at an away Basketball tournament, I was left behind. Between games my teammates and I explored the school we were at, wandering the halls and slipping outside to discover the playground. At some point after all of our games were over two of us were outside playing on the playground when we saw our bus begin to drive away from the school. Jumping down from playground equipment and running behind the bus waving our arms yelling for them to stop, we thought as the girls in the back of the bus saw us, they would tell our coaches and we would make it in the knick of time. However, to our dismay and surprise the bus continued down the road and we were left behind. 


While partial blame for leaving us behind falls to our coaches for not doing a head count and to the cruelty of middle school girls, we were left behind because we weren't where we were supposed to be and we were not prepared to leave.

Matthew 25:1-13 says 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 the virgins were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them. 4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. 11 Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 12 But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’ 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour”

My memory of being left behind is clear and vivid in my mind, a memory I don't think I will ever forget.  Though a little embarrassing for us at the time and a few hours of waiting to be picked up, in the end there was no harm done. When it comes to eternity though there will be no parents to call and no one to come and pick us up. If we are left behind we will forever be lost.

^{Matthew 24: 36-44 says 36} “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Are you like the five wise virgins who were prepared? Like the men in the field and the women grinding will you be taken or left? 


We do not know when the Lord will come, but if we are prepared to go we will not be left behind.