June 25, 2017
Summer Sunday-Sunshine for the Soul
Run to the Light
You may find yourself in dark clouds, crashing storms, or Morning Glory…no matter what your circumstances, or where you are, Run to the Light! He is always there…He calls you.
“…That you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
Several months ago, I kept two our grands over-night while the parents had a much needed night out, and I was confident that I was up for the opportunity-challenge, even though my husband Billy was out of town. You see, we had developed a system…
At that time, the two grands slept in two different rooms, one still sleeping in the crib, from which he had just mastered the art of escaping. The other one slept in a big girl bed in a room flooded with night lights…Why???? Because she was afraid of the dark. No problem, we have developed a system for keeping our grand-children.
Because Sam was an escape artist, our carefully devised plan was for Billy to sleep in the end of the house closest to Sam’s room, so that if he escaped from the crib, theoretically, he would hear him open the bedroom door. And if, by chance, Sam attempted to open an exterior door, the door chimes would alert the sleeping grand-parents. I would sleep fully dressed, ready for the next day, in our room, which was close to the well-lit bedroom where Charlee slept. Of course I wanted to be able to hear her if/when she called…Of course! Did I mention that she was afraid of the dark…? And, I wanted to be ready for the next day, not a minute to spare, always up and always ready! Oh what a system! It usually worked!
Armed with baby monitors, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, door chimes on…I was ready for the opportunity, the challenge, of caring for the grands, without Bill’s help this time…Play, Play, Pray, and off to bed!
Around midnight, I awoke to a rumbling sound…and then an eerie silence…As I opened my eyes…my room was surrounded by darkness and a daunting stillness. Now fully aware that we had no electrical power, I immediately reached for the small flashlight on my night-stand, switched it on and a small beam of light immediately radiated into the black darkness…My heart pounded wildly, the grands! It was so silent, and so dark, without the light.
I made my way to the bedroom and quietly pushed the door open, and held my breath, shining the little light toward one bed and then down the hall to the next bedroom, shining the little light into the crib where Sam slept…Both grands were in their beds, fast asleep, even though the thunder continued to rumble and grumble outside…and darkness surrounded both of them…with the exception of the little light I held in my hand….
And then, as I realized that my whole system was totally incapacitated at this point, the baby monitors were useless without power, the night-lights had been extinguished…So much for my futile plan. I gathered a couple of candles, flashlights, and a charged phone charger, a blanket and a pillow. At this point, I would campout on our living room floor, half-way between the two sleeping children in case one awoke and escaped from the crib and began to wander…Or perhaps, the other would awaken to the complete darkness and the stillness and begin to desperately call-scream for someone, for me!
For two hours, I sat in the darkness on the living room floor, leaning against the wall. I could find nothing on the emergency websites, I had no messages, no idea when the power would return. I remember shuffling over to look out the glass doors toward the river, peering into total darkness. A darkness that was a panorama of ominous-blackness…Then, shining the small light which illuminated each one of my steps, I followed the tiny beam back into the living room, to sit half-way between the sleeping children…to watch, to listen, to wait, to pray…
Oh I had been in darkness before. Had it been just me in my home, I would have reached for my little light, moved it a bit closer, turned over, and resumed my sleepiness…
But the truth was, I was not alone…and there were unknowns and two precious grands…one escape artist, and one terrified of the dark. No, I would watch, listen, wait, and pray…And, as I thought about these circumstances, as I prayed, I was reminded about my Mighty God…
Our Heavenly Father does not slumber or sleep…He was up with me.
Our Heavenly Father watches and sees, listens and hears…He listened to a rest-less grand-mother.
Our Heavenly Father outshines and overpowers any amount of darkness…He used a Texas storm to show me the power of His Light.
Our Heavenly Father, the Father of lights, does not shift or change…He is The Constant in our lives.
Our Heavenly Father gave us Jesus, the Light of the World…He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life…all we need, to go to our Father.
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Sunshine for the Soul-Run to the Light
On this Summer Sunday, you never know when dark clouds or a storm may crash into your life…Or when the Morning Glory shines into your day and remains with you into your night…But no matter what your circumstances, or where you are, Run to the Light! He is always there and He calls you…
“…That you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
My friends, I love how our Heavenly Father makes every moment a teaching opportunity. Two hours after sitting in the darkness, the power came back on. The two sleeping grands never knew about the darkness which had surrounded them…but I knew. They awoke to marvelous light…to Morning Glory…and I awoke thirty minutes before them, grabbed a cup of coffee…fully dressed for the day…and sat in His marvelous, beautiful, Morning Glory! Oh friends, may we live to praise Him and to declare His Wonderful Light to our children and our grands…on this Summer Sunday!
May we always…Run to the Light!
Joy and blessings,
