GOD HAS THE FLASHLIGHT

When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.

—Edward Teller

I’d stayed on the mountain too late again. The fall twilight was fading and darkness was quickly taking over the shadows, even at our high elevation. I knew a game trail that ran from where I was down to the lower valley. Getting to that point would let me ride Lady, my mare, back to my camp that was just a few miles upriver. Then I wouldn’t have to spend a cold night on the mountain with no sleeping bag or gear. I led Lady down the twisting, narrow game path. A canopy of overhanging trees from the heavy forest blocked even the dim light of dusk. My flashlight beam pierced the darkness, illuminating where we could safely walk. With the light, we could avoid the intruding branches and find a way around the rocks and fallen trees. The trail narrowed in places so tightly that we had to force our way through. We slid across some muddy areas and stumbled on a few rocks, but at last we broke out into the valley.

I swung into the saddle and let Lady pick the path from there. I knew that she’d take me right to camp. Riding a great horse in quiet, alone time, entirely at peace and full of wonder at the star-filled night sky, I had an epiphany about what had just happened. I thought about the difference between this short adventure and how, as a child, my mother and I would be walking at night down a country road. She’d sometimes let me have the flashlight to lead the way. I’d always shine it far down the path ahead to see how far I could see. Or I’d keep swinging it from side to side, playing with the light. Mom would say, “Keep the light in the path. We have to see where we are putting our feet.”

This time, I used the light differently than when I was a child. I instinctively knew that the trail would be full of turns and obstacles, so I concentrated on shining the light directly where I would place my foot for the next step. This realization gave me a new perception of God and my spiritual journey.

I realized that my experience on that dark trail was similar to the way God seems to work in my life. Sometimes I need direction, guidance about which path to take, to know where I can safely walk. And God has the flashlight. When asked, He lights the exact spot where I need to place my foot on the very next step. He never illuminates the full path ahead but just the one small place where I must step to make the safest journey. Often, the light is just a gentle, dim beacon and not a spotlight showing the way and I must be sensitive to the radiance. Being human, this is not the kind of answer I like. I want to see the full trail brightly lit ahead and know everything about what is coming—whether the trail is full of obstacles and adversity or clear walking. But if I truly trust God, all I have to do is just go where the light shines.

Prayer: Dear God, when I am in darkness, open my eyes to the light of your love and power; break the shackles of night and illuminate my path so that I walk safely, secure in the warmth of your presence.