Wise Men Still Seek Him

So here we are down to the final three: Today’s gift is Wisdom:

"Guiding your way, wisdom will lead you through knowledge to understanding. May you hear its soft voice.”

When I think of wisdom during this time of year I always think of the Magi following the star in search of the Christ child. Was this an act of faith or an act of intense study and preparation? I am inclined to believe that it was both. If you were around for the total eclipse of the sun in our part of the world on August 21, 2017 you may have gotten an idea of the excitement and preparation that must have been a part of their journey. These were learned men who specialty was astronomer-priests. They had devoted themselves to study and discovered the coming event. They looked forward to it with eager anticipation, and made great preparations to not miss out on this momentous occasion. I know for us, we spent 6 months looking forward to the day of the eclipse. We studied and read on eclipses. Bought special glasses, and made the pilgrimage with special friends. Our goal Totality! We wanted to be where we could get the full effect. 90% wasn’t good enough. We wanted to be right, smack dab in the thick of it. I am so glad we did. It was one of my best memories with my children. Did it involve work-YES. Did it take time-YES. Was there a cost-YES. But it was worth every minute of it. In our fast paced, quick fix, disposable world we can lose sight of the greatest events. We can sit by and let them pass us by. Sometimes never realizing what we missed. That was not true for the Magi. They took the time, put in the work, and paid the cost to kneel at the feet of Emmanuel-God with us. They were not disappointed. They found something so great that it made it all worthwhile.

I know on the day of the eclipse we got in the car and started driving, not knowing what our final destination would be. It depended on weather. Would it be cloudy? If so we would have to drive to another location. So we took some things on faith. I can say we weren’t disappointed. God has such a way of showing up. He gives us more than we could ever ask or hope for. We stumbled upon the perfect location. A little park with an outdoor sprinkler playground. Right down the street from a little old fashion drug store that sold awesome milkshakes. And the weather-PERFECT!

So what about you this holiday season? With so many events clamoring for your attention, will you take a minute and kneel at the feet of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Will you trust God to show up in surprising ways? Will you let wisdom lead you on unexpected journeys? Will you listen for that soft voice that says you don’t have to know it all, as long as you know the Lord of all? I pray that you won’t lose sight of the true purpose of this time. That as you are preparing your gifts for family and friends, you won’t overlook the greatest gift.