Light for today

     I awoke this morning both thankful and fearful.  So incredibly thankful that Janie is back near home at the hospital at UNC-Chapel Hill.  We had no idea it would happen as soon as yesterday, and we are just overwhelmed with joy to have her near her family and her dear friend, Tessa, who is in the same hospital.  Praise You Lord!  We are also eternally grateful to the terrific nurses and staff and doctors at the Greenville hospital who loved and cared for Janie so wonderfully and who saved her life.  Again, thank You Lord!
     But this morning, that fear that loves to creep around the edges of my mind, haunting my hope, well, it was there too. I get up from bed, talking to my Father, asking Him to help me to trust Him and not my feelings.
    I walk into the kitchen, turn on the lights, and pick up my blinking cell phone, and there comes my relentless God again: I immediately see a text from a dear friend: "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen Emily and help Emily; I will uphold Emily with my righteous right hand." (Is.41:10)  Thank You, Father.  Thank You that You will give us this day's daily bread of strength and joy and hope and peace.
     And that is all we need--just this day's provision.  We will trust our never failing Savior for tomorrow's.  But we don't need that now--just today's.  Just today's.  And You are always enough, always able.  Forever the "I Am"--our eternally present, personal,  powerful Lord who is always with us today, this moment.  Help us to fully live in each present moment with You, our great I Am.
     Thank You Father for how far You have brought us on this long, hard journey.  I know we have miles and miles to go, but I can't focus on all those miles.  We focus on the next inches right in front of us and ask for God's strength and hope and enabling for those few tiny parts of the marathon.  "Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." (Ps.119:105)  That is what our Father wants us to do--look to Him daily for His light to the path right in front of us.  He will light the way that our feet need to walk... step by step, inch by inch.
     Every time my brain tries to look way down the path into the far distance and ask, "what then?" or "what if?" or "how on earth will we handle that?" the paralysis of fear and discouragement sets in like a thick blanket of fog in the mountains.  Not only does looking ahead in fear steal my joy and peace, but it robs me of the light He is giving me right now, for this precious and irreplaceable day today.  The only today we will ever have.  The only today He is giving us to love Him, to learn, to love our family and friends, to pray, to share His Light in this dark world.  Forgive Your faithless child, Father, and help us to live this day in the light of Your Word, trusting that You will light our paths--for You always do.
     "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4-5)  Light a match in a dark cave and watch that tiny flicker dispel the thickest, blackest darkness.  The dark simply cannot overcome even the smallest light--when light comes, the darkness, at least right around the vicinity of the light, is dispelled.  Thank You Lord Jesus that You are our Light and You are Janie's Light and even now You are lighting her darkness.
     I will never forget the story of a young girl who was thrown into jail during the civil rights movement.  She was part of Martin Luther King's peaceful protest against the horrors of racism, and she was apparently beaten and thrown down into a completely dark basement in the jail.  No light whatsoever.  I don't remember the exact details as to where it was, etc.  but I will never ever forget what she said.  The guards shouted and jeered at her from the top of the stairs, asking her how she felt now that she was alone in all that darkness with absolutely no light.
     She responded, "I have my Light with me.  Jesus Christ is my Light."
     Just as He was her Light in the blackness of that prison, just as He is Janie's Light, just as He is our Light on this long journey with Janie, step by step lighting our way,  He is also your Light.  If Jesus is your Savior, you are never alone.  Never.  You are never without the Light--for you carry Him with you into the darkest pits and the loneliest prisons. Janie would tell you if you don't know Jesus, He is waiting even now to come to you and be your Light and your salvation.
     "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the Light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12)
     We follow Lord and praise You that with You, we will never walk in darkness.  Help us to walk this day boldly, joyfully, faithfully in Your Light.  And we will trust You with our tomorrows.
     To God, our eternally present and powerful Light, be all the glory.