The Light at the End of the Tunnel

I had an interesting experience last evening after turning off the TV for the night.  The after-dinner hours still tend to be some of the roughest for me as my thoughts seem to easily slide over to the “How much I miss Piper” syndrome.  And last night touched off the beginnings of a vivid emotional response. 

While sitting on the edge of the couch, I reached over to the coffee table in order to set down the remote when I hesitantly cried out to the Lord, stammering through the initial statement that I needed more courage and confidence to do whatever He wanted me to do in order to continue on in this new phase of my life without Piper.  I quickly caught myself and clarified my statement saying that “Lord, I’m not implying here that I am going to do anything stupid!  But I’ve never faced anything like this without her to uplift and encourage me… and I just don’t know if I can do it.”

Well… the Lord is good and as I sat slumped down on the edge of our red leather love seat (that I had bought in North Carolina knowing that Piper would love it) I was immediately brought back, in my mind’s eye, to the many times I had sat on the floor in the hallway of our home in NC, where I cried out to Him in exhaustion, fighting despair and needing a helping hand and HE ALWAYS REASSURED ME AND GAVE ME THE STRENGTH, CONFIDENCE AND COURAGE TO GET UP AND GO ON!

From there, like I was watching a video in my head, He showed me many of the seemingly impossible things that He had me to do in the past, like obeying His call and moving our family 1800 miles to Oklahoma to go to Bible School, moving back to California, facing all the uncertainties with Piper’s diagnosis, dealing with the various responses of those around us, working through my own shattered emotions, researching benefit programs, lining up the medical course of action we needed to take and then moving some 3000 miles across the country to North Carolina… followed five years later with another major move back to Oklahoma without her!

Basically, what He told me was that it took obedience, courage and confidence to follow Him and to accomplish all those tasks, and that just as He had been with us through all of those times, that He would continue to be with me today!  What’s different, of course today, is that I no longer have my best-est buddy in the whole-wide-world at my side to encourage me and bolster my confidence at a moment’s notice!

Later that evening as I read my Bible just before turning off the lights, the Lord led me once again, to Psalm 91:13 where the Psalmist writes concerning the presence of God’s angelic protection around us that, “You’ll even walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness, trampling every one of them beneath your feet!”  (The Passion Translation) 

When I got to the part about “walking unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness” the light (sort of speak) went on and I realized that for me today, that darkness is my inability to see where I am right now, as I follow the plan and purposes that I believe the Lord has given me in His Word to follow.  It’s like I know the end destination but I can’t see HOW what I am doing today, is getting me to the promises He has given to me.

As I reviewed these thoughts in my morning Bible Study today, I was reminded of John1:4-5 where the Apostle of Love writes concerning Jesus saying, “He was the source of life, and that life was the LIGHT for humanity.  The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.” (God’s Word ©)  And with that revelation, I instantly could see HOW the whole key to my personal dilemma, is in keeping the eyes of my spirit man as well as the focus of my understanding and emotions on the Word of God… which illuminates my every step.  I may be in an emotional tunnel of darkness, but as long as I follow the light, I always know that I’m headed in the right direction!  Kind of like the saying of following "the light at the end of the tunnel!"

Have you ever been in a place of emotional darkness?  If so, it would seem to me that the answer to your dilemma would be the same as to mine!  Focus on and follow the LIGHT of God’s Word and you’ll always be assured that you’re going the right way! 

Most people I know will immediately refer to their Bibles as the Sword of the Spirit (See: Ephesians 6:17)… maybe it’s also time to start seeing it as the most powerful, high tech but yet compact FLASHLIGHT in existence in the World today… & you can rest assured that when you turn it over, it will be clearly stamped with the words: “Made in Heaven” and come with the Manufacturer’s lifetime guarantee!

Have a wonderful day… and keep following God's light through the darkness!