Scratching where it itches

Grace and Peace this first week of Advent.
So I'm driving over to work a couple of days ago and it was foggy. The road between my home and work is fairly straight and you could see ahead though visibility was limited. On a clear day the road stretches out like ribbon candy ahead about 20 miles. You can't see the whole of it but enough. Today with the fog I hadn't been able to see very far at all. I had been thinking about the future. You know the what-if kind of wondering we do now and then. What-if-this or What-if-that. And I laughed out loud.
Why? Because on the north side of the road with a small herd of horses was a donkey scratching its neck on a fence post. One of those metal kinda pointy ones. I mean it really lined up next to it scratching. Ok, I can't say, and wouldn't try to say, that donkey looked satisfied. What did come to mind was this donkey had a problem and had right there found a solution. Itches? Scratch! Sigh, however as multi-tasking,list-making, ever-perfecting, people we often don't look for a solution to our questions that is so uncomplicated. We'd rather make lists of why-to or why-not. We'd rather consult with others about the wisdom of...
So, now, back to the road. It came to me that what I needed was not to see the whole way but just what I needed to see ahead of me to be safe to complete the journey. Only a little at a time. (trusting that overnight someone hadn't come and rolled up the road and it ended just there, add a grin.)
Life lived more simply is what we need to do in Advent. We know where the Advent road leads and we know who walks before us. We know we will sing joyfully on Christmas Eve. We believe that there is a plan for our lives and it is for good.
Enjoy this time, this very time, this very day and keep it simple.

God abides
Bobbie Giltz McGarey
@2009