It’s that time of year — a time, we are reminded, for giving, gratitude, celebration and reflection. It’s also a time when most of us can’t help but create our own wish list of the things we want. Some of the things on our personal wish list will be fulfilled and, if you are like most, some won’t. The truth is that this time of year is in part no different than any other: We look outward for our happiness as much as inward,
and wind up hoping that unseen forces will intervene on our behalf and provide us with more of the things we desire and less of the things we don’t. All of which reminds me of a fable from the yoga tradition.
Many, many centuries ago, God was looking for a place to hide. You see, in those days She was receiving any and all who wanted to have an audience with Her. God’s doors were open 24/7.
All you had to do was knock on Her palace doors, wait your turn, and you would be received. It should be no surprise that there was an endless line of devotees, seekers and even more people who simply wanted stuff and who wanted to deliver their requests directly to Her.
As was Her policy back then, God felt obliged to listen to each appeal. Thus, you can imagine that neither God nor the angels nor any of their attendants had a moment’s rest.
There were far too many people to constantly respond to and too many requests to be heard. Some people were asking for their next child to be a girl, others were asking for a rich harvest,
or for it to rain or stop raining, for more money, to heal a sick relative, for happiness, help to see the future or to attain some other extraordinary power or perhaps to be relieved of grief and fear. It got to be so much that God didn’t have any time to attend to any godly business.
