Okra ... Kind of

In 1992 we went to Romania to distribute John/Romans Scripture portions.  We had a group of twenty Americans to help with the work.  I had been invited to a wedding of a friend in Lugoj, so we all went.  Romanian weddings are an all-day event with a civil ceremony, church wedding, and reception following.  At the reception, we had a full meal with speeches and songs between courses.  Half-way through the meal I was pleasantly surprised to be served deep-fried okra.  I thought okra was a southern dish but was glad to get food that I was familiar with.  But when I bit into my “okra” it was a piece of breaded, deep-fried lard.  It had been breaded and fried, and it looked just like okra … only it was a ball of fat.  Hey, have you ever been disappointed by something that you ate?  You thought it was one thing, but it was another.  Or worse, have you ever been disappointed in life?  Have you spent time chasing a dream to find that it was only a dream?  Have you worked for money only to find that it didn’t satisfy?  Have you been misled in life?  Have you been lied to in life?  Hey, life can be deceiving, like deep fried fat.  Solomon said in Proverbs 23:17&18, “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.”  Don’t put your trust in people; they will let you down.  Don’t put your trust in money; it will soon be gone.  Put your trust in God; He will be with you forever and never disappoint you.