A Big Bright Star

21/12/20

This morning the Lord caught my attention. I have been asking for wisdom about many situations over this past year, and this morning He reassured me and made me smile. I hope you can follow my meanderings.

I’m aware that my mind is often a cross between a sponge and a chameleon, and after all the blogs, articles and videos I’ve read and seen, and all the differing conversations, viewpoints, news and ideas – it is easy for me to just have a head full of contradictory jumble. A lot of stuff makes sense to me and a lot of it doesn’t. The trouble is, each viewpoint is somebody else’s sworn truth and apparent identity, that they will defend with vitriol and passion…

Unfortunately for me, the official story is usually the one that makes least sense to my understanding of the world – that and the marauding aliens coming from Andromeda to steal human kidneys…

So the ideas are not originally my own, but how I process them and the end composition and arrangement of the process is, though it shifts and changes from day to day.

My mind, like my heart and my life, is a work in progress.

I had just been writing my morning pages, filled with lamenting and questioning God about all these restrictions being imposed on the world… As I do often, as I spew out the jumble from my head, I was also writing my thoughts about the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, which the cloudy sky will prevent this astronomy enthusiast from seeing tonight… and about the date (because I love patterns, and 21-12 has a lovely symmetry that will be perfect next year) … But mostly I was praying for Peace for all those whose planned Christmas festivities were suddenly scuppered by the PM’s announcement on Saturday; and praying for wisdom; and drifting my questions into an article I read yesterday, about democracy v. dictatorship… I found myself questioning the premise that we live in a democracy in the UK, as I have for some years, but especially… Then I drifted uncomfortably back to the star – was the “STAR” that led the wise men to Bethlehem a great conjunction, or was it the glory of God as a supernatural sign for them to follow? And how do us mere mortal Christians know which opinions of all the great wisdom of the present age to follow. Sure, as Christians we follow the God-breathed Word in the Bible and we listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit, but we also live within the world’s political system and have been given a creative, rational mind… And we are told that “wide is the gate that leads to destruction; but narrow is the path that leads to life, and few there be that find it.”

Forgive me, because I’m aware that what I’m writing is a reflection of the jumble of thoughts and not a coherent argument; but the truth is that I don’t have a coherent argument. I know that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have the light of life. For God did not sent His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” And I know that I trust Him with my every last breath of life. But for the rest… I honestly do not know what to believe!

Anyway, as I knelt to pray, I turned to read the next page of the little advent book (that I have had since 1998, when every advent I would kneel with my infant boys and light candles and read the story for each day. There was a large fold-out scene of Bethlehem on which we could place the stickers for each day, but all that remains today is the book. This year I have been writing out the prayers daily and sending it to each of my sons in their own respective, grown up households.)

He tells us to come to Him as children…

This is what I saw and read today, and what I want to share with you, from the little advent book: –

Day 21

A Big Bright Star

Matthew 2:1-2

Today is 21^st December.

Today’s picture is of the big bright star.

We don’t know much about the wise men but we know that they recognised the star. They knew it would lead them to Jesus.

Isn’t it amazing to think that a big bright star up in the sky led them to the tiny dark stable where baby Jesus lay?

The wise men chose to follow the star to Jesus. People probably thought they were completely mad! Do you think the wise men felt a bit silly setting off to follow a star while everyone else ignored it and went on eating their supper?

Sometimes our friends laugh at us for choices we make. Sometimes people try to make us say and do things because everyone else is saying or doing them. This time everyone else was wrong. Everyone else can often be wrong.(my italics)

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we remember the wise men. Thank you that they didn’t care what anyone else thought – they followed the star to Jesus. Please help me to do what I think is right no matter what everyone else is doing. Amen

Yes, Amen and Amen. So on the day of the winter solstice and the great conjunction or Jupiter and Saturn, musing over number patterns of the dates and praying for wisdom to follow God and not the world… He gives me a reflection on the big bright star that the wise men followed, despite what everyone else thought… We pray for courage to do what is right, no matter what the majority think… and where do we find the scripture for the star? Matthew 2:1-2 another 2-1-2 pattern like the one I began with as I wrote 21-12-20…

I just love that God meets us where we are and understands our idiosyncrasies like no other.

I wish all my blogging friends and readers a most blessed Christmas, full of wonder, peace and great rejoicing – and may you find Jesus and follow Him and His light every day.