Seeing is Relieving

When I was a little boy, I remember a game we played at church, after hours. This was not one that we did in children’s church or even youth group. This was something we came up with to challenge ourselves while we were waiting for our parents to finish yapping. It was exhilarating.

There was a back hallway that wrapped around the sanctuary and in the middle of it there was a section where after a slight turn, the light disappeared. Complete visibility blackout was the new reality for that small part of the corridor until the next turn which let a little light through. It wasn’t much, especially at night, but it was enough to know you’d make it! Seeing it was a huge relief.

This seems to be the way life happens and it is surprisingly accurate to our cycle of circumstances. We turn a corner and the lights go out. We find ourselves groping in the dark. We feel our way through what seems like an eternal abyss waiting for something to trip us up, reach out and grab us, or to run straight into the wall.

I learned a few things in that exercise as a small child that are worth sharing today.

If we walk through life far enough, we’ll find ourselves fighting through the darkness.

We have 3 choices once we find ourselves in it

Turn around - but we’re still in the darkness for as long we got in to begin with because we have to go back out the way we came. In that case, we are no longer making forward progress.

Sit-down - but we’re still in the darkness for even longer until we decide to move in one way or another. In that case, we are no longer making forward progress, and we’re also stuck in our fear, our feelings, and our frustrations.

Keep going - but we’re still in darkness. YES. But we’re at least making forward progress and we KNOW that light is coming soon.

This is definitely not the reference for Psalm 23 since they didn’t have hallways in their churches, but I feel like it could very well be the mindset that the writer had as he penned the words,

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”

The whole psalm is filled with words of action, words of movement, of forward progress, of continuity. The writer isn’t staying still. He is living and finds himself in a pitch black hallway with no promise or even hint of the timeline he’ll be in the darkness. It seems he has resolved, however, that no matter how dark, it’s not a place he will stay or live in fear through it.

God is leading, guiding, helping, and holding. God is sustaining with unmatched opposition. And the writer is confident even when it’s not comfortable.

So, you and me can be to.

Don’t turn around. Don’t sit down. Keep moving.

For us as kids, that light around the corner was a huge sense of relief. As you find yourself in darkness, may you see the relieving light of Christ and experience the enduring strength of the Holy Spirit!!!

#DarkToLight

#SeeingIsRelieving

#RestoringWholenessOfLife 

Brett