The Wrong Wallet

Je voudrez acheter des salades et legumes dans le mache, s’il vous plait.

Today is Wednesday. Today is also mercredi in Britttany which means also that it is the local market day. Not particularly spectacular, however, I have been here for a week and a half now, so it was about time that I pushed out a little and attempted to purchase something from the market instead of the safety of the “ Intermarche “( supermarket).

So after doing my reading of the Bible this morning, we headed down to Callac with the intentions of buying a few items. Probably some vegetables and a little salad. My French is very, very poor, almost non existent. I haven’t done any since school, which is now a long time ago and I have just remembered today the name of my French teacher, a Miss Dawson. An incredibly petite lady who insisted on wearing the most extraordinarily high heeled shoes and boots. I do now wish that I was more attentive though. Little words and phrases that I may never use are coming to the surface at the forefront of my mind now and again. They may just help me in my distress at some point.

There are about 20 stalls, mostly local produce with that ‘just dug it out of the ground this morning‘  look about them. A real earthy aroma hovers around, some are fish stalls with crabs and oysters, some are delicatessen meats cooked, boiled, roasted and cured, but I am looking for some salad and vegetables. After a walk around to see what is available, I decide to queue at a particular one and I am a little nervous as I wonder how the words will come out along with a mixture of international hand signals. Quickly and surprisingly, I have what I want in front of me an onion, savoy cabbage, wavy wet lettuce, a lemon and a piece of ginger and it is weighed and a final price is shown to me. Voila. It is then as I reach into my pocket that I realise that I have the wrong wallet with me, I have brought the one with about £60 in, but no Euros!

I try to explain, and that I will return in 10 minutes after going to the bank which is a couple of streets away. I hurriedly go to the cash machine, draw out some Euros, return to the stall, await my turn in the queue and finally pay and walk away with the produce . All is well.

But afterwards, it got me thinking. What would have happened if instead of the market trader being stood there awaiting payment for goods it was The Lord Jesus Christ and He had returned in the Second Coming and He was expecting a return for His investment. I cant dismiss the thought that this won’t happen, because it will, His return could be at anytime. I cant turn to the Lord Jesus and say like I did to the market trader, Oh just wait whilst I go and get some different money and I shall return later!

In Matthew 25:14–30, in the parable of the talents. On the masters return each is rewarded for their wise investment and return. Measured in worth to sowing in the Kingdom, and the one who buried his talent, that was taken from him as the unprofitable servant and he was cast into the outer darkness. There was no warning of time, there was no second chances, it was instantaneous. The Bible tells us this is what it will be like when Jesus returns and so my friends, my brothers and sisters. Be watchful, invest your talent wisely, for no one knows the hour….

God bless