A Light When It’s Scary

When I was young, one of the things my little sister and I loved to do was play with flashlights. You see, in the “old days” it didn’t take much to be entertained! This was long before computers and the internet. Yes, some of us remember a time before there were computers. I promise I won’t discuss how wonderful and carefree life was back then (at least not today)….

Anyway, back on the subject of flashlights. Toni and I would go outside at night and wave the flashlights all around in circles, up and down, or swirling in figure eights. Now flashlights back then were not big bright lasers like they are today. They had a short beam that went straight out in front of you. But we still thought it was pretty cool to light up the trees in the distance. We liked to imagine there was a scary animal hiding out there. We would softly tip-toe closer to the trees knowing we would soon capture a mean grizzly bear or a wild coyote. Then I would quickly flip my flashlight on Toni and yell, “Look out!”  She’d scream, and we would run back to the house, giggling. You would think that after a few times she would have figured out what I was going to do, but she never did. Or maybe she was just having too much fun with her big sister.  Oh, the sweet innocent days of youth. I miss them, and her, too.

A Light To Guide My Path

Flashlights are helpful when you are walking in the dark. I remember going to summer camp and using my flashlight to go to the bathroom at night. Our cabins were a bit rustic and did not have bathrooms, so if we needed to go, we had to trek down a path to an “outhouse,” (which was like a portable potty that didn’t move). I can’t remember actually how far away the potty was, but when you’re a kid and it’s dark, it seemed like at least a mile or more! I’m sure it was probably only a couple hundred feet or so, but it was definitely not a fun thing to do in the dark. No one would volunteer to go with you, so you would only go if it was an absolute necessity! You always wanted to get there fast and hurry back to “safety” as quickly as possible (plus, you had to hold your breath the whole time you were down there!).

So, needless to say, that flashlight was essential. The important thing to realize about using a flashlight was not to shine it way ahead of you, but to keep the light just on the path in front of you. The light was brighter and more concentrated when it was close to you. But if you aimed it far away, the light was more spread out and not helpful. You had to trust that the light was going to take you down the path as long as you kept your eyes on it, one step at a time. If you aimed the light somewhere else, you would lose your focus on the path. I got pretty good at this as I seemed to need to go to the bathroom nearly every night, and there was always someone begging me to go with them, too.

Keeping the Light Right In Front of Us

My trusty flashlight illuminated the path just in front of me step by step, and before long – would you look at that! – I made it through the dark to my destination! I didn’t have to be afraid after all.

So, when you go walking in the dark with only a flashlight, how do you see the path in front of you? Do you shine the flashlight way ahead of you? That is our natural inclination, isn’t it? We want to know what is way up there ahead of us. But shining the light too far ahead doesn’t help us to see. The light is not as bright because it is dispelled in the darkness. It can also cause us to deviate from the path if we are not watching where we are going. We have to keep our focus on what is right in front of us.

God Lights Our Life Path

And guess what? That is just like the light God gives us on our life “path.”  He wants us to trust him by helping us to focus on the circumstances right in front of us. It really is so much easier if we just trust him for what’s ahead one step at a time. As we take those steps, the dark gradually gets lighter, doesn’t it? Yep, because he is the light in the darkness. We just have to let him be in charge of lighting our path. That’s his job!

This is not as easy as it sounds. I know that. Sometimes I want to grab that “flashlight” out of his hands and say, “Let me do it!” I like to be in control. But the more you practice trusting him, the more you actually start trusting him.  You see, you will realize that taking things one day, one step at a time makes more sense than trying to manage a tough path all on your own. He knows what’s ahead of us anyway. Right?

What Does Your Path Look Like?

What kind of dark path have you been trying to go down without the right flashlight? Is it a serious illness? The loss of someone you love? Maybe a family crisis? A job loss? Financial struggles? I could go on as there are so many dark paths we go down in this life. But God does not want us to ever go down them without his light lighting our path.

Let’s be honest. Our human minds want to have everything figured out from the start. We want to know the end of the story when we open the book to read the first chapter, don’t we? Our Father knows that, too. He wants more than anything to make it easier for us. But, if we knew the ending at the beginning of our path, would we still trust him along the way? I doubt it.

Sometimes Our Paths Are Dark

The older I get, the more I can tell you that he is always faithful. He has never ever ever let me down or turned his back on me. Sometimes the path was not easy. Many times it hurt more than I could ever imagine. And sometimes I did not think I would get through it. But I can look back at every struggle, every challenge, every trial, and see his hand guiding me, protecting me, and strengthening me. He never left my side, and he never stopped loving me.

Oh, my dear one, God knows your path is dark, and he wants to walk it with you. He wants to hold your hand and lead you. He’s the one holding the flashlight lighting the path in front of you. Trust him to lead you all the way through the dark. And, as you get to the end, you can look back and see the glow that was left from each footstep you took. A reminder that you were never on the path alone.

A Friend Can Help Light Our Path

And sometimes it helps to have a friend walk alongside you as well. God gave us the church just for that purpose, so we can encourage and strengthen each other during the tough times. I don’t know what I would have done without Christian sisters coming alongside me during all those difficult times, holding me up, crying with me, listening to me, giving me wisdom and guidance when I could not even think straight. God knew how much I needed them. If you are not part of a church family, let me encourage you to find one. If you don’t know where to start, drop me a line, and I can help.

The Bible Promises His Light

God wants us to remember the beauty of his light and how much it can change our lives. The Bible is filled with so many wonderful passages and promises about God’s light. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” That is the perfect promise for what we have been talking about, isn’t it? The Bible is God’s word  — it’s his way of speaking to us. In it we can find hope and peace and comfort and strength for every trial and every circumstance we face. I want to encourage you to read your Bible every day.. It truly will light your path.

John 1:5: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  Nothing can dim our heavenly “flashlight!” The darkness Satan tries to defeat us with doesn’t have a chance!

Psalm 139: 11-12: “If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”  Remember, it was God who created light in the first place. So, even darkness is light to our Father. Why would we ever fear?

John 8:12: “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’”  We will never walk in darkness when we follow him! Wow! What a comforting promise!

The Light at the End of Our Path

What happens after we reach the end of that path, and God has guided us to safety? Well, we can certainly look back and see how far we have come with him leading the way. The light at the end is so bright and hopeful, isn’t it? It is so comforting to know that we were not alone. Ever. The next time we face a dark path we will remember his faithfulness, and it will give us the strength and confidence we need to keep going. The older I get, the more I am willing and eager to turn my trials over to him right from the start because I know he will handle them much better than I can.

We just have to remember that, no matter what,  he can make a way for us even in the darkest night. One of my favorite songs is “God Will Make A Way.” Here is a beautiful version of this hymn I think you’ll love the words! https://youtu.be/e1Hcq2-Ur5s?si=454elF80Z9LfssLU

Our Turn to be the Light

Like we mentioned above in John 1:5, light overcomes darkness. We know from experience what his light has done for us. When we have experienced his perfect light guiding us down difficult paths, how can we not share that good news with others?  So, with his perfect light guiding us, we, in turn, can help illuminate the path for others who may feel helpless in their own darkness. They may be trying to find their way down a path without a flashlight, without anything to give them hope. That can be very scary and very lonely! They need the same comfort we received, don’t they?

How do we do this? We could start simply by asking someone how they are doing and really listening to their reply. It would also mean praying for them (not just saying, “I’ll be praying for you!”). It could include practical help – providing a meal, offering to do laundry, taking them to an appointment, babysitting, or just sitting with them if needed. Phone calls, texts, notes,, whatever it takes to keep in touch can also help.  We just need to let them know someone else has a flashlight and is walking beside them. Sometimes we are the only Jesus they will see. Think about that.

So, dear one, let’s get our flashlights out. And check the batteries, too. We have some paths to illuminate!

Prayer:

Dear Father, Sometimes we have to go down some really tough paths that are scary and dark. We don’t like to go down them, because we can’t see what is ahead. Oh, how we want to trust you, but sometimes it isn’t easy. Give us the strength to take these paths one step at a time, knowing you are in control and will safely lead us. Then, help us shine our lights to those struggling on the paths behind us. In Jesus’ glorious name, AMEN.

BTW:

P.S. While looking for a photo to go with this blog, I was reminded about all the times I would sneak a flashlight under the covers of my bed at night so I could keep reading a book I just couldn’t put down. I know this has nothing to do with this blog, but did you ever do that, too? Flashlights sure can bring back all kinds of memories!  I’d love to hear about yours! Drop me a line. Love, Grandma D