This... this is the artwork of my walk in life. One particular Saturday morning many months ago, I awoke fairly early to find myself in a dark place. For the previous several weeks I had been in really bad shape. My body had been physically sick for quite a while, I was emotionally drained due to family & work stresses, and I was struggling spiritually with very large issues of who God is and my identity in Him.
I really could have just laid in the bed and given up at that point, but that particular morning I felt compelled to get up and go for a walk. Now, in the last year my physical exercise had been about as limited as my understanding of cosmetology & skin care. So this old fat man dug out some tennis shoes and shorts and hoofed it 2.5m around the local country roads.
The halfway point of anything, especially a walk, is a funny thing unless you know exactly how far the end is. Halfway for me was that point where I better turn around, be awful sure the total circle back was not too far for me to make it OR be willing to wake my poor wife up to come meet me at the ER. Just as I was contemplating this particular point of turning back, pressing forward, cutting through the woods straight home, or falling over- covered in sweat, unable to get even a half of my regular half breath, and just about to make that phone call to my sleeping wife to explain why she needed to come get her idiot husband- I looked up at this scene.
The road stretched out before me, enveloped by a canopy covering of trees with darkness and shadows filling the view. My body hurting, head hurting, and my heart hurting. I wiped the sweat and maybe even some tears from my eyes and coughed up the junk in my lungs. No inhaler in my pocket, not a wise choice for an asthmatic with bronchitis and probably walking pneumonia.
As my fevered body stood shaking, I couldn't help but think I must be imagining the way the light pierced the darkness and danced on the ground. At the end of the long road, there was a clear end in sight- light coming into my view as well. I clicked the phone in my hand to life and shot this picture. I stood marveling at my stupidity, God's glory, Christ's mercy, and the power of His Spirit working in brokenness.
That God pierces the darkness with His majestic light awes me even to the point of fear. That Jesus would cross from eternity to this life and from this life to death on a cross for me so I could stand in God's light without fear shakes me to my very soul. That the very Spirit of God that raised Him to the light of life from the darkness of the grave does the same with my darkened heart constantly by empowering it to believe in Christ as Lord & Savior is absolutely breathtaking.
Life is not an easy journey, it can become a struggle just to breath. We even place ourselves in dangerous situations or just wallow in self-pity. If we look to the light, the darkness seems to fade and the path takes on a very different purpose. We might even be able to express it in some form to the One who made it, ourselves and others.
I kept walking forward after I caught my breath. I followed the road home to my family who was waiting there for me and shared the story of my adventure. They laughed at my silliness and were encouraged by God's greatness. I hope you enjoyed it too.
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