There is light and there is dark. Sometimes I like the dark, other times I really want some light. After many cloudy days, sometimes with rain or snow, most of us notice big time when the sun comes out. We welcome those bright breaks in the clouds. We feel like we have new life! Everyone's day seems to go better once the sun comes out.
This week I thought I wanted a night light in the bedroom where we were staying. The truth of this was that I did not need it at all, for the room had light coming in through the windows enough that I could see when I needed to get up in the night. I thought--I should just put my night light away. But I did not follow through on my "thought" that perhaps was "Holy Spirit" type of help. We know that nothing is too small for God to be concerned with and to help us with. At any rate, my nightlight did not continue to travel with me and now I don't have it. Memo to me--don't procrastinate, do it now! After all, those nudges we get from time to time are for our benefit, not to be ignored!
Traveling through a town, we were stopped by a red light. To our left, the traffic on the cross street was also stopped. Our attention was drawn to the first car. It was a car that certainly was not in perfect condition. What happened next really got our attention. A tall person stepped out of the driver's door. The person was dressed totally in black from head to feet. The only thing that wasn't black was the face which was painted white. And only eye holes distinguished the features. Then the "person" held up both hands and performed repetitive shooting actions with his fingers and thumbs. To say the
Least—this was an action and situation that we do not see every day!! It somewhat—no, very much—disturbed us. And when the light changed, the "person" re-entered the car and turned the corner into what would have been our traffic lane but very recklessly and dangerous. So, to say that we wanted to follow him would be wrong!!!!! We purposely held back and let "it" disappear over the next hill. While we kind of would like more information about this happening, we are at the same time, glad that we don't have to see this daily. It seemed to us to be very dark and sinister and evil. We could not see good and God in what we had just witnessed. We drove quickly away and on to what can only be the opposite of the dark and evil. We were able to see the smiles of a 10 month old little boy and his giggles and cuddles and to see his face light up with happiness and the love of family. You just know that this innocent young life is God's gift to us to love and care for. Darkness and evil has not touched this young life. And I pray that God will guide this young life away from all darkness and evil in the days ahead as he daily grows with the help of his mom and dad.
This week we had a plumbing problem that had to be dealt with. We are lucky in the fact that our old farmhouse had some remodeling years ago that included putting in an upstairs restroom. Getting up in the middle of the night and trekking down the stairs is not my idea of a goodnight's sleep. I am very thankful for our upstairs facility. My wonderful husband took it upon himself to do the plumbing fix. Now in my opinion he found too many other things that he needed to do before he started this plumbing job but his schedule is not mine and...... well, the repair job took longer than he thought it would. Most repairs have hidden problems that come along to complicate the simplest of jobs. This was one of them. When he told me he was going to need my
Help—in a small place that one person can barely do what needs to be done—I knew it wasn't going well. And it was bedtime!! But, he did get it to the point where we could use the necessary item in the middle of the night and he put everything back in place so that our big toes would be safe in the dark. And then we went to bed and to sleep. This week there is no moon shining in my windows to help light my way. Later in the night when I woke up and decided to take the walk to the restroom, it was very dark. Normally we have another night light in the room that gives us enough light to keep us on track and our toes safe especially when there is no moon. I then realized that there was no light of any kind to help me find my way!! And as I think about this problem, I wonder how the pioneers and my grandparents survived midnight trips without nightlights? Those sod houses like my grandmother grew up in for sure did not have a nightlight!
No night light, maybe no problem if I can get to the next room and turn on its light. But, I did not arrive safely. I misjudged where I was on my walk and instead of turning a corner, I found the wall with my head. THEN I turned! I reached around the corner for the light switch I knew was available to turn on a light that would give me a little reflected light into the restroom area. But in the darkness, no matter how many times I tried, the switch had vanished from that wall. I finally just gave up and turned on the restroom light where the night light should have been, which was the switch and light I was trying to avoid in the first place. I find it hard to go back to sleep if a bright light has been turned on. Ugh! It was with that light that I discovered where the night light was and I promptly put it back in the place where it normally belongs! And discovered the missing switch had been covered up by something from the restroom that husband had placed in front of it when he was moving things around.
The next morning, I told my husband thank you for putting the things back in order!!
And then I asked him if he appreciated the night light?
God does not leave us without light. We can depend on Him for light in the day and light in the night. Light when we are puzzled and light when we don't realize we need it. His light is always there for us, though sometimes we need to look up and find it. When we look away and down, then we see that darkness of this world. It is a darkness that will do more than hurt our big toe or our head. It will cause immense hurt to us. Hurt that will make the devil glad but cause sadness in the eyes of our Creator. He has provided the light to guide us and help us along the dark ways that are so often before us. I am determined to find the paths of light and let God lead me along them.
A world with Light from God and His Son without any evil darkness is what I want for myself and for the little children and for everyone. Walk in the light this week!
