Light in the darkness

By joannsblog2016 on February 4, 2019 • ( 0 )

Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Have you strayed from the path God was leading you on? Perhaps during some phase of your life, you took a different path, away from your faith. Looking back, can you see how easy it was to stray from God’s will in your life, to take a detour? May be one path looked more attractive, easy, or entertaining than the other.

This morning God let me in on a mini lesson.

I love to walk around the pond at work before starting my day. I sense God present around me as I walk prayerfully around the pond. I often ask God to reveal Himself to me, teach me or inspire me. Many times, He does just that.

This morning I started my day a little early. The sun had not yet risen, so the path I walked along was dark with light sprinkled around for some visibility. After praying, I allowed myself to be present to my surroundings. As I maneuvered through the darkness, I could hear the pleasant sound of the waterfall and the birds singing. Music to my ears. As I walked along the path, I noticed a little bird just as the path makes a small fork. I watched him and began to follow him. I detoured to the path that I normally do not take as I walk around the pond so that I could follow the bird. Even though I didn’t get lost, it reminded me how easy it is to wander from the path, to stray from God. I began to ponder this for a minute. In the struggles of my marriage, I could have fallen into hopeless despair instead of falling into my faith. Through my divorce, I could have run into the arms of another man, instead of being embraced by God. If I would have strayed from the path God was leading me on during the darkest days of my life, I would not be content in who I am, and who God is for me. I would not have seen all that God was doing for me, how He was holding and carrying me. Perhaps, eventually, I may have found the path again as the two paths merged.

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

It’s so easy, especially when we are struggling with something, to turn to something else that may not be healthy for us. Sometimes it presents itself as the “thing” that will take away all our pain or something that looks more enticing. My mini lesson this morning validated John 1:5 “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Darkness is never dark when we allow God to be present within us. So in the darkest moments of our life, when we carry the Word of God within us, He is the “lamp for [our] feet, a light for [our] path” (Psalm 119:105).

I have seen this prevail in my own life as I allowed the tiny shimmer of light guide my path. It was Jesus in the Eucharist that shone upon my path guiding me closer to God as I walked through my struggles. This path wasn’t always easy but it has been a joyful ride, full of mountains and valleys, but it has never been dark because the darkness has always been overcome.

Have you allowed the light to shine upon your path in your journey? God’s light is never extinguished, as long as we accept the invitation to carry it.