Anointment

Captivated by a verse that talked about being anointed by the "oil of joy," I started to think. Now before I start, I want to preface that my thoughts tend to work like the game Jenga. I will start with a very well constructed and broad topic. Slowly but surely I seem to narrow down what I'm thinking bit by bit (all the while my imagination is zooming) until I have this very tailored and creative skeleton of something really cool. Often times I have thought up something I doubt anyone has every thought. And then it gets complicated and too difficult to maintain and marinate, so I just let it crumble and move on.

Now for being anointed with joy. I started to meditate on the beauty of this imagery. I got a massage once, and the most memorable part was the lathering of the warm oil. It was soothing and revitalizing. And I started to understand a little bit better the sensation of someone kneeling before the throne of the King, shaking because they're so dang nervous, and being absolutely deluged in warm and fragrant oil.

It's a symbol of renewal and cleansing, but it has some fine print writing that the announcer doesn't say really fast at the end of the commercial. It entails something very significant: that you are now blessed and have received a higher calling from the King which is to act according to His purposes. The oil is only temporary, it eventually gets washed off or soaked into your skin, but you never really get anointed again so the renewal comes from the knowledge of the Holy from now on.

It's kind of like you fall and mess up. You're kneeling on the ground to examine the scraped knee. And then you realize you need a little help from an ointment which promises healing. Funny how that works.