Do you remember this nursery rhyme, which originally arrived on the scene 500 years ago in England?
Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?
I’ve been to London, to look at the queen.
Pussycat, pussycat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under her chair.
Let’s break it down together.
Pussycat finally grabs some much-needed time away and heads to the big city.
When she gets back, she has the neighbors over for some appetizers and fish sticks. Finally she boots up her media presentation: My Awesome Vacation.
There are oohs and ahs when she reveals her picture of the crown jewels in the Tower of London, a close-up of the Rosetta Stone on display in the British Museum, and a selfie with the cast of Les Mis just minutes after the show.
“And here’s the throne room of the Queen of England,” says Pussycat, hitting the forward button on her laptop.
The neighbors are stunned. “How in the world did you pull that off?” someone asks. “Was the queen actually there?” asks another.
“She sure was!” says Pussycat. Everyone leans forward and talks at once: “So what was she like? What did she say? Did she grant you an official audience?”
“Actually,” says Pussycat, “I’m not sure. I had something else on my mind.”
“What else in the world could you have been thinking about?” someone asks.
“Well,” says Pussycat, with immense satisfaction. “There was this splendid mouse under the queen’s chair. And…are you ready for this? I frightened it away!”
The ultimate privilege of those who walk with God is access – any day, any time – to the throne room of the King.
But most of us approach such moments with Pussycat hearts and Pussycat priorities.
Given the chance to enjoy an audience with the King of the Universe, we focus on the smallest things. The most trivial issues. The silliest distractions. The dumbest worries. The mouse under the chair instead of the royalty sitting on it.
Psalm 42:1-2 calls us to a different perspective:
As the deer pants for streams of water,
So my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
Which can only mean:
Choose to stop.
Look into God’s face.
Don’t reply to that text.
Focus on one thing at a time.
Remember that this moment is the thing that matters most.
Those splendid mice will always be available for chasing at other times.
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