A friend once told me about a professor he knew who was so distracted that he had to drive to a city and then took a taxi to the airport at the end of the meeting, forgetting that he had come by car. Another time, while standing next to his car in a university parking lot with an armful of books and a perplexed look on his face, the professor greeted a student by saying, “Excuse me. I wonder if you could tell me: am I coming or am I going?
When it comes to our spiritual lives, some of us face the same challenge. We don’t really know if we are going or going. Caught up in daily events, we remember not only that we are heading somewhere, but that we are walking a path with Someone. Staying close to that – Someone – God our Father – is essential to living a life of peace. Otherwise we will be so invested in life here and NOW that we will forget our goal.
Do you remember the story of Dorothy, the young girl from Kansas, who followed the yellow brick road in search of the Emerald City and the Great Wizard of Oz? At one point during her quest, she and her companions walk through a field of poppies. Although Dorothy does not know it, she is standing on dangerous ground as the flowers give off a scent that can lull unwary travelers into a sleep that will last forever. Our own world can sometimes function like this magnificent field of poppies, lulling us with its pleasures and seducing us with its comforts. After a while, we are tempted to calm down. A nicer house, a better job, a slimmer body – these and a thousand other desires can control our thoughts, our talents and our energy. We are stuck with countless desires, stuck like Tar Baby to all our desires.
Trouble can also become a trap. The stock market plunges and fear proliferates. Our children struggle and worry takes over. Our career is disappointing and depression sets in. If you’re wondering if this might apply to you, think for a moment about the events that upset you the most in the last week. Then, onto the things that gave you the most joy. Do any of them have the breath of eternity or do they just carry the scent of this world? Our emotions can provide clues about what motivates us. Does the power and presence of God the driving force of my life or am I constantly buffeted by the winds of success, comfort, fear or anxiety?
Both desires and struggles, if pursued or resisted without reference to God, can be a fog obscuring not only the path forward, but the fact that we are even on a path at all. Sometimes they make us forget where God is leading us. Of course, God can use our difficulties to advance His plans. It is sometimes true, it is said, that the obstacle itself is the path. Illness can lead to deeper prayer and greater empathy. A difficult child can lead to more faith and patience. Nothing is wasted in the lives of those who belong to God. Even our desires can help us discern His will. The error is to pursue or resist desires and difficulties on our own, without seeking God’s help and guidance.
If we want to experience peace, it is essential to stay on the path, to continue following the one who loves us.
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