IN THE DARK

The other night I went to go pick up my oldest daughter from dance class. It was a typical dark southern night. It just seems to get darker here than anywhere else I have ever lived before. The air was still moist and humid from a rainstorm we had earlier that day. The ground had not yet absorbed all the moisture from the heavy rain so there were puddles everywhere. We live in a housing subdivision that is on the edge of the woods and the darkness is filled with all kinds of buzzing, chirping and hissing noises that after 13 years in this part of the United States I have finally gotten used to.

We chit chatted as we drove home and then I pulled into our drive way and parked the van near the garage. It was late, had been a long day and my pillow was calling my name, so I was anxious to get inside the house and go to bed. We got out of the van and made our way up the side walk towards our dimly lit front porch. I was wearing flip flops and my feet were getting wet. I didn't mind as the temperature is still fairly warm. It was then that I felt something jump on my foot! I couldn't make out what it was in dark, but it felt slimy, wet and was climbing on me. Yikes!! I screamed and kicked it off my foot. Whatever it was, it must have been determined because it came in for a second assault! By this time I was jumping, hollering and dancing on the sidewalk like a mad woman! If my neighbors had taken a look outside they might have thought I had lost my mind or I was having some sort of spiritual experience. I finally made it into the light to see that it was just a tiny brown frog. I was embarrassed and relieved at the same time. My frightened and confused daughter said, "Mom, I thought you were have some kind of seizure or something!" In those moments my mind had quickly imagined a copperhead or water moccasin snake climbing up my leg during the incident, which are both common to our area and are very poisonous. The snake in my mind thankfully was just a tiny brown frog trying to find higher ground on my top of my bare foot.

In the dark everything seems bigger, threatening and more frightening. In the light most things turn out to be pretty small compared to the image our minds can create. Darkness distorts things! Some things and even some people have seemed huge to me in my mind! They seem powerful, controlling, intimidating and even dangerous. However, in the light of God's word and in His wisdom they are very small like that little brown frog on the dark, wet sidewalk. The light removes their power, might and strength because it reveals truth! When we remove our focus from the obstacle in the darkness and place it squarely on the Lord and on the light of His Word everything in comparison seems very small, insignificant and not threatening. His light chases away the darkness and just like that porch light reveals the truth.

John 8:12:12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

We are living in an age when so many things can seem overpowering to us. What we must remember is that in the eternal scheme of things and in God's economy things are not often what they seem. He sees the big picture and encompasses all time, while we live in the here and now and exist in our own man made boxes of understanding. Only through following Him will we be able walk in the light that leads to life.

Lord please help us to continually follow You and not walk after the darkness or any of it's distorted attributes. Help us to maintain our focus on You and the light of your Word. In Jesus Name, Amen!

More Than A Conqueror