Hi
I was in an IKEA store recently and couldn’t find my way to the exit. In the midst of being flustered my good friend and sister said, ‘Nicqi, it’s easy. You just have to follow the arrows which light the path below you. Naturally, I thought of the magi following God’s star. But we also are being guided by God. Consider today’s Holy Nougat
“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalms 16:11 NRSV
And yet, many of us don’t seem to be filled with joy. Many of us could easily be described as “sour-puss”, miserable, or plain unpleasant. What’s up with that? Is it that we are not in God’s presence?
Or worse, could it be that we have missed the point of being in God’s presence? Like we are so caught up with the distractions, detractors and such that we lose sight of what really matters. If so, are we on the right track?
In revisiting the nougat we note that being in God’s presence is directly connected to the path of life. And there in God’s presence is joy. In all it’s glory. Ao if we’re missing the joy, like the magi, we might be in Jerusalem instead of Bethlehem. Part of the trouble with the Herod saga, was the magi’s feeling that Herod could direct them on a path that Goes had set for them.
Literally
Might we guilty of the same? Of assuming that the Herods in our journey carry the blueprint for the path to life. For that may explain our inability to be joyful in God’s presence. That is, although we are IN God’s presence, our focus is elsewhere. On the detractors and distractions.
And in losing our focus, we are likely to miss the joy or the pleasures of the little things. Like the gift of friendship, the blessing of nature and the myriad of in betweens that sometimes get lost in those processes.
When the magi left Herod’s presence, they found the star waiting for them. Do we need to go find our star?
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
