THIS IS THE WAY TO MARY’S HOUSE

Are you as directionally challenged as I am? Thursday, I went to Mary’s house for a meeting of our writers’ group. Love them all! This time, I parked on the one-way street that runs along side her house. When I left, I drove to the next corner, turned left, then turned left again at the next intersection to get on a parallel path with the one-way street I came in on. After a lot of driving and checking road signs, I ended up miles away in another part of town. Then, the good Lord took pity on his child who can get lost on a North/South Interstate, and deposited me near a nursing home in which I had seen patients. I could find my way from there. Where was my G.P.S. system? At home in my brief case of course.

"Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ 2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.’" (Exodus 33: 1-3 NIV)

How many times have I gotten lost? Many times just coming home from Mary’s house and many more times from other locations, therefore the gift of a G.P.S. from my husband last Christmas was appropriate. Is it possible, I get lost easily because I am "stiff necked?"

When I think of all my blessings, I believe one is a correction of a large birth-flaw. I think I may have turned the wrong way when I took my first steps, an early example of my faulty internal compass. Yet, God has blessed me with his presence. When I relax and depend on him, I am far less likely to lose my way. But, like my G.P.S., I sometimes forget to depend on him. Just as the lights wound round your Christmas tree, lead from the star to the lowest branch, let the light of God lead you to your knees in front of the Christ Child.

Yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent, the month of anticipation as we wait for Christmas. Will we finally depend on the Lord God to guide us through life and make our way to the foot of the manger? Or, will we depend on the secular world to identify our blessing in the name of commercialism? We may be a "stiff-necked" people who choose our own path, regardless of how often we get lost on the way. Let this advent season be the time in which we begin to rely on the Infant Lord to guide our steps, direct our turns, and lead us home. Let us pray:

"Father of the Christmas Child, you bring His peace every year, for you are always the same and always there. Your promises are real. Your name is Holy, as is the name of your son, Jesus, the Christ. May your presence of peace finally fill us so full there will be no way for us to empty you out. Today, this second day of advent, we pray that you light our path so clearly there is no way for us to get lost. Forgive us when we stubbornly try to walk alone. Only you know both the destination and the direction. Make still the noises of the world so that the sound of your voice is loud enough for even me to hear, and clear enough for me to understand your words of comfort and leading. In the name of your son, Jesus the Christ Child, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp