The Courage to Follow.
Dear Friend,
As we step gently into the season of Advent, I find myself thinking about the Magi - those wise ones who looked up and noticed something new in the night sky. A star that wasn’t on their maps. A light that shimmered with mystery and promise. They could have ignored it, dismissed it as a strange anomaly, or stayed comfortable in what they already knew. But instead, they chose to follow.
They set out on a journey without knowing where it would lead - guided only by a glimmer of hope and a sense that God was doing something new in the world.
I can’t help but think of that image as I reflect on this season we’re in together. Creating this new community - our online home, this unfolding At Her Table space - feels a little like following a wild star of our own. It’s something new, not on the maps we’ve used before. It’s full of wonder and a little bit of mystery. But like the Magi, I sense that God is in it - guiding, illuminating, calling us forward step by step.
In my faith community gathering on Sunday, we spoke about the courage it takes to notice the new - to lift our eyes and recognise that God’s story is still unfolding, even in the unexpected places. That’s what I hope this season will be for us: a time of noticing. Of listening. Of trusting that even when we can’t see the full path, God is leading us toward something beautiful.
So as we begin Advent, may we be like those travellers - open-hearted and attentive, willing to journey together toward the light.
May we find in this community the warmth of companionship, the joy of shared stories, and the quiet assurance that we are being led - always - by Love.
With hope and wonder,
Lauren x
Lauren Harkness
Canberra, ACT
Founder, At Her Table
