What Happens In The Dark

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mathew 11:29-30)

The raised hand of the fire fighter standing in the road stopped us from turning onto our street. “Where are you headed?”

I told him our address and he explained that a worker had accidentally pulled down a power line with his truck-mounted boom. When the boom hit the line, the driver lost control and crashed through our neighbor’s fence before rolling the truck. Thankfully, he walked away without a scratch, but the street was dark. The power lines were still hot so the fire department wasn’t letting anyone get too close.

As we pulled into our driveway, nervous tears began rolling in the back seat. My children cried, “What are we going to do?”

I gently guided them into the house where I found a flashlight for each of them before lighting every candle I owned. Since the accident happened only about twenty minutes earlier, I figured it could be a long time before the power resumed.

Illuminated by flashlight beams, the kids got ready for bed as they talked about their fears. When will the lights come back on? Why doesn’t the well pump work when the lights aren’t on? How long will it be until we can watch TV? Can I do puppet shows for the family until the TV comes back? It sure is dark in here.

I suggested we pretend to be pioneers who did everything by candle light. The idea helped a little bit, but the kids still wanted to sleep in my bed. We snuggled up and read storied with one flashlight highlighting the words and the other one bringing the pictures to life. We said our prayers, and just as I pulled the blankets up to their chins, the lights came back on. Relief. Although my little one wondered, “Can I still do puppet shows for everyone tomorrow?”

How often in mothering are we caught in the dark? The lights may be on, but we still feel blinded by the dim unknown. Should I put my child in kindergarten this fall or wait one more year? If she plays soccer and baseball this season, will it over-schedule us? Will my preschooler ever hold scissors the right way? The questions we worry over can trap us. Thankfully, we have the very best flashlight available in Jesus.

However, I often notice that He only gives enough light to make it from one step to the next. He rarely shines the beam out into the distance, giving us glimpses of the future, but rather He focuses it right where we need to be, in the present. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

I think Jesus knows that if we saw too much of the future, we wouldn’t turn to Him during life’s blackouts - during the scary and uncertain times when we tend to cling to Him the most. If we knew what lie ahead, we wouldn’t search for that beam of light that is Him directing us every step of the way. And in order for His light to be on my next step and for me to see it, we must be walking together, hand in hand. I think I like blackouts, for that is when His light is the brightest.

How does Jesus guide you through dark times?