The other day, while out on a leisurely walk sometime just before 10 pm, I decided to head to a favorite spot on campus. Being that it is a somewhat sentimental spot, I was eager to get there so I set off on the quickest route. Unfortunately, I did not take into account the fact that it would be so dark. The path I had chosen was quite unlit and as I rounded one corner I quickly realized that it was also muddy and rugged. Not thinking it was a good idea to go traipsing through the woods alone in the dark, I altered my course slightly and kept heading to the chosen spot on a slightly longer route. This path was less muddy and rugged, but still quite dark. Without a flashlight, I did the best I could and used my cell phone to light up the path before me. The tiny screen shed a dim glow onto the dirt path, but it was enough to light up my next step. So, I continued on my way, carefully placing each stride with the help of my cell phone. That is when it occurred to me that the Christian life is often like walking in the dark by the light of a cell phone. In fact, the situation I found myself in that night is a fantastic metaphor for the position I find myself in these days.
As a senior in college this year, I find myself on a path that feels very dimly lit. Basically, at this point in my life I don't know where God is leading me after I finish my education here. There is so much that I could pursue, so many wonderful roads and directions before me, but not one has flashing lights or lampposts along the way to guide me. Instead, I find myself staring into the darkness of the unknown and following God's leading one week at a time, one day at a time - one step at a time. It's as though God is reaching down into my life with His cell phone, lighting up the next step He would have me take, showing me the way one day, one moment a time, and asking me to trust Him to take me where I need to go. I could try and find my own way, blazing a trail through the muddy and rugged woods of life, but I'll probably roll my ankle at some point and end up with a limp for it. Instead, it is much safer to live by the light of His cell phone.
Now here is where the illustration breaks down a little. You see, that night I was headed to a specific spot, one that I knew in advance. That is not always so in the Christian walk. We often think we know where we are going, or have some general idea of the direction God is leading, but as many believers experience, one road often leads to another. Church members and leaders become missionaries, missionaries change fields, and many pastors serve at several churches throughout the course of their ministry. God often uses one phase in our lives as a means to bring us to the next. We need to recognize that, as believers, our real final destination is not in this life, but in glory. In this earthly life, we are but pilgrims on a journey.
That night, as I continued my journey by the light of my cell phone, the second route I tried also became muddy and I eventually had to take the third and longest route to that favorite spot. It wasn't my first choice, or even my second, but out of all of the choices, it was the best lit. In life, God may not take us the direction we planned, but His way is always best if we would only trust Him. When I made it to that favorite spot, it was certainly worth the journey and the effort it took to get there. The inconveniences along the way seemed insignificant as I soaked in the view. I had arrived, and that was all that mattered.
While still on the journey, it is easy to think that God is unfair or even cruel in asking us to follow the light of His cell phone. After all, He is God, He could just show us both the path and the destination, lighting the way with neon signs so we're sure not to miss it. Wouldn't it be easier if we knew exactly where He was leading and how we were going to get there? Perhaps.... but then where would faith be? It is not cruel that God would ask us to follow His cell phone to an unknown destination, it is love. Praise God that by His grace He has chosen us to walk in the light of His cell phone! After all, we could be walking in the dark.
Psalm 119:105
"Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."Labels: every day life, reflections