Reason #155
My aunt came to visit this week, so we've had a full weekend! By we, I mean she and my mom have had a full weekend. I've just been fortunate enough to tag along for all the fun stuff. My parents are in the process of re-doing their living room and when they get started on a project, they go full force until it's done. Last night my mom, my aunt and I sat in the living room and chatted. Now, each of the ladies in my family have the gift of gab, so this was quite a lengthy, detailed conversation. They reminisced about the days of their childhood, caught up on family matters, and told stories that were absolutely hilarious. During this time, my dad was on a ladder silently painting the trim around the living room. A ways into our conversation, the power went out. It was about 11:00PM, and it was stormy. Of course, we were totally uprepared for this... at least I thought we were. We hadn't planned on a power outage. The living room was in complete disarray due to the painting project, my dad was stuck on a ladder a few feet in the air, and we had no idea where to begin looking for a flashlight. Being women, we automatically began to think about candles, which, of course meant we needed matches. Well, before we could get our plan devised, we heard a click and saw a light come on above our heads. My dad, still on the ladder with a paint brush in his hand, had a flashlight. I am not even kidding! I have no idea why he had that flashlight or where he was even keeping it, but he was prepared. And he kept on working. The darkness didn't phase him one bit, and he successfully completed his painting job!
And I thought about how we sometimes end up in the darkness totally unexpected and unprepared. Going along, doing our own thing, and next this we know, we're helpless. Struggling to find our way around. Clueless as to where we are. Maybe we have a good idea and we can sort of feel our way to security, but maybe we don't so we just have to sit there in the dark and wait until something happens. Maybe, we get lucky and end up benefitting from the preparendess of someone near.
"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105) I've been in the dark more than once. Stumbling around and trying to figure out where I was going. It wasn't a familiar place. I didn't know where I was. I felt clueless, and I was not prepared. Unexpectedly, the fuse blew and so for a while I sat in the dark just waiting. Waiting and hoping that maybe someone would come along with a flashlight and guide me until the lights came back on. I was hoping that someone else was prepared and they would help me out. But here's the thing, I had access to light the whole time. I didn't realize it, but it was right at my fingertips, written on my heart. Scripture that was long ago etched into my memory, so I had to remind myself. I began to search and look in His word, and when I did, I began to see. It was still dark, but He was shedding light for me. And I realized that the light was guiding me to a place of security. I wasn't stumbling around as much. I didn't have to walk with my arms sticking out just in case an unexpected obstacle popped up. Because as I kept walking down the lit path, it got brighter and I could see so much better, clearer.
So I continue to move forward, not sure what is at the end. Because I've learned that He is faithful to give you enough light to see as you walk down the path, but you have to trust because the light doesn't reveal what's at the end yet. Rather, the light moves with you, going before you but not too far ahead of you. And when you walk with the light, close to the light, in the light, you can see. You can keep moving, keep working, keep believing because this light doesn't burn out. This light endures, piercing through the darkest of dark and guiding you safely to the very end.
#155 - Because He equips us to walk through the darkness.
"Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy." - Psalm 43:3-4
And I thought about how we sometimes end up in the darkness totally unexpected and unprepared. Going along, doing our own thing, and next this we know, we're helpless. Struggling to find our way around. Clueless as to where we are. Maybe we have a good idea and we can sort of feel our way to security, but maybe we don't so we just have to sit there in the dark and wait until something happens. Maybe, we get lucky and end up benefitting from the preparendess of someone near.
"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105) I've been in the dark more than once. Stumbling around and trying to figure out where I was going. It wasn't a familiar place. I didn't know where I was. I felt clueless, and I was not prepared. Unexpectedly, the fuse blew and so for a while I sat in the dark just waiting. Waiting and hoping that maybe someone would come along with a flashlight and guide me until the lights came back on. I was hoping that someone else was prepared and they would help me out. But here's the thing, I had access to light the whole time. I didn't realize it, but it was right at my fingertips, written on my heart. Scripture that was long ago etched into my memory, so I had to remind myself. I began to search and look in His word, and when I did, I began to see. It was still dark, but He was shedding light for me. And I realized that the light was guiding me to a place of security. I wasn't stumbling around as much. I didn't have to walk with my arms sticking out just in case an unexpected obstacle popped up. Because as I kept walking down the lit path, it got brighter and I could see so much better, clearer.
So I continue to move forward, not sure what is at the end. Because I've learned that He is faithful to give you enough light to see as you walk down the path, but you have to trust because the light doesn't reveal what's at the end yet. Rather, the light moves with you, going before you but not too far ahead of you. And when you walk with the light, close to the light, in the light, you can see. You can keep moving, keep working, keep believing because this light doesn't burn out. This light endures, piercing through the darkest of dark and guiding you safely to the very end.
#155 - Because He equips us to walk through the darkness.
"Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy." - Psalm 43:3-4