A couple of years ago when Karla was between moves, she needed a place to keep her dogs. So Katie and Lucky came to spend six months at our house. We had large fenced-in kennels on the other side of our lake that we weren’t using, so that was where they made their home. Each day Tucker and I would walk down the dirt road to the pens, release them, and take them for a stroll. Some days it was later than others due to after-school activities. Even if it was dark already, I was going to make sure they saw freedom each day.

Tucker has a spotlight that can shine 300 yards. When we prepared to walk over, I always grabbed it first. Why? Because I quickly learned the difference in the way we each held the light. Tucker shined the light out in front of us to see ahead. He often scanned the woods just to see what he could see. I, on the other hand, shined the light directly at my feet. I needed to see where my shoes were walking. It didn’t matter to me what was up ahead, I was worried about the snake that I might step on or the rock that might turn my ankle. My Mama didn’t call me Grace for nothing!

In uncertain times, I find myself like Tucker and want to know what is up ahead in my life. But when I look at 2 Samuel 22:29 I am reminded that God is my lamp, not my spotlight. “For You are my lamp, O LORD; And the LORD illumines my darkness.” I suppose it’s for many reasons He doesn’t want us to know what is up ahead. Maybe what we would see is scary and is not what we would have hoped. Then we would want to travel another route rather than the path He has chosen for us. But I think the main reason is so that we must rely on faith. By trusting in him, we acknowledge that His plan is best and He will prepare us. All we need is the lamp that guides us one step at a time.

I was sharing this thought with Emily, and she commented, “Oh, I totally understand that concept, focusing on one step at a time. Did I tell you I almost died the other day?”

Now she tends to be dramatic, but also knowing that she is my adventurous one, I cringed. “No, you failed to mention that.”

Trains still run through Rome. She and her friend were on a train trestle above the river, when it unexpectedly came around the corner. They began to run as fast as they could. She kept her eyes on her feet, watching them to make sure they hit each plank, not to slip in between the boards, and fall into the water below. But the moment she looked ahead to see how far it was to safety, she began to stumble.

When I try to look to far ahead, not totally trusting God with each step, I am not allowing Him to be …a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path (Psalm 119:105)

-Donna