Journeying a Different Path

Grace and greetings.

Happy New Year

You know the story of the Magi, how they studied the stars, sun, moon and all the earth around them. They journeyed to Jerusalem and stopping off at Herod’s place for directions. They arrived in Bethlehem in time to pay homage to the new born king and offering their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then, having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Joseph, Mary and Jesus also left by a different road than the one they had arrived on.

There is a saying that you cannot step into the same river twice; even if you step in the same place, the rushing water has changed the river, so it is not the same river. Hopefully, we too grow and are changed by the events that we witness and experience. Hopefully, we are not the same people we were ten years ago, five years ago; or the same person we were last year or even last week. Our prayer is that we continue to grow and change as God revels to us the secrets of life, be they great or small.

Just as God guided the Wise Men to Jesus, and then sending them home by a different road; God is guiding us in our lives, the question is do we listen and take heed? Will we be aware when we are called to leave our homes to journey to foreign places to live as Abraham and Sarah were called, or to take a trip that will last for a year when you are only at your place of destination for a few hours? Are we listening to God to know if we are to return home be a different road?

We gather each week for church services, whether it is in the morning, evening or both. We worship, sing, greet one another, pray for one another, fellowship with one another; and hopefully, hopefully we grow and change every day. There are days were we can look back and say, “That was a special day, my life changed.” Mostly, the days seem to go on without any noticeable change or new knowledge gained. But if we look back of the big picture of our lives, we can see how we have been changed by God’s love and guidance throughout our lives. Just like the river with the rushing water, we are never the same again either.

I challenge you to consider returning home tonight by a different way. Whether that is taking a physically different path, or to look inside you to see if you have grown or changed from the time you walked in here an hour ago. Because you have come here tonight, because you are answering God’s call to you, you have changed, whether you realize it or not. And because you are a different person than you were when you came in earlier, you will be going home by another way.

Peace and blessings.