Where's the Light Switch?

Have you ever been in a situation where you ventured into a dark room and you find yourself fumbling around trying to find the light switch so you can see where you’re going? Have you ever been in a situation in your life that feels eerily similar to this scenario? I feel like we’re going through this globally right now, but I also feel like I’m going through this personally as well.

My doctors thought I may be on the right track to managing my chronic illness more consistently, but then I symbolically stepped on a Lego by having a fainting episode that could’ve quite possibly been a mild seizure (ouch!). I lined up an entire battery of tests so that I might, at the very least, understand what that episode was and with the hope of regaining my ability to drive again. Cue the intrusive entrance of Covid into our home which caused me to have to reschedule every one of those tests out an additional two weeks (bang!). I had surgery on my knee this past May that was supposed to be minor and a quick fix to my pain. I woke up from the anesthesia to find out I had had an incredibly extensive procedure instead and that my recovery time had more than tripled (crash!). Throughout my recovery, it kept becoming more and more clear that something was not healing properly. I sought a second opinion that led to the conclusion that I now need another surgery which will take place two days before Christmas and require an additional six weeks of immobilization (crack!). We have lost dear loved ones recently, we have other loved ones who are knocking on death’s door, we have seen friends and family members so sick with very little ability on our end to help them because of this dreaded pandemic (stab!). My entire career has been dismantled and is on the precipice of a complete 180. This feels incredibly crushing and scary as I’ve thrown so much of my energy into building a professional reputation over the past 15 years (scrape!). And let’s not forget the murder hornets (it seemed appropriate to throw that little reminder in there for good measure). Is this year over yet?!?

It’s like I am in a giant, pitch-black room with jagged objects scattered all over the floor, I’m running into every piece of furniture and I feel the sting of whatever stabs my foot, stubs my toe, smacks my shin, or cracks my knee as I blindly navigate such an unknown set of circumstances. All I want to do is find the darn light switch so I can illuminate this path and have some visible semblance of hope. But this isn’t up to me. Quite frankly, it’s not up to any of us.

Sometimes God chooses to strengthen us in what we perceive as darkness, sometimes he allows us an ounce of clarity by way of dim light, oftentimes he does both in his own timing as we are still called to lean on him for guidance and grace.

OUR WEAKNESS BRINGS ABOUT NEW STRENGTH
What’s interesting about losing the sense of sight is that we grow more competent in and more reliant on our other senses. We start developing skills we never knew we could possess and we become stronger as a whole person. We also become more willing to welcome the guidance of the One who knows how to perfectly maneuver around the challenging room.

WE ARE NOT ALONE IN OUR CIRCUMSTANCES

Sometimes the heaviness of this life leaves us feeling quite lost, alone, and incredibly frustrated. I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to an escape room, but the complexity of the game often leads to aggravation at an inability to figure things out on your own. Even with the assistance of the friends who are there with you, the answers can be quite elusive. At some point, you find yourself in a bind, stumped and unable to get out, only to have a voice break through your agony asking if you’d like a nudge in the right direction. Suddenly, what seemed so impossibly confusing becomes incredibly clear and you locate the key that unlocks the door to the world outside of your confined space. You just needed to call upon the one who had knowledge of the total picture. Our God is ready and willing to be our guide in the midst of uncertainty. We have to be willing to accept the guidance he gives.

This world can seem so confusing and our lives can feel pretty dark at times. The darkness can help strengthen our abilities and deepen our faith. The confusion can be set straight when we allow ourselves to hear the voice of our Heavenly Father.

We aren’t meant to wander through this existence on our own. Instead, we are meant to grow and change as we do our best to make our way through our circumstances. And we are given a spiritual light switch, by the way. God has spoken to us very clearly through his Word. The Bible can illuminate our path and provide all of the information we need to make every choice in this life even if our understanding of our surroundings is limited.

Psalm 119:105 says,

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Friends, have the courage to flip the biblical switch as you consistently dig into the Word of God. Once the lights are on, you may find that you are surrounded by a mess or you might discover that the light is not as bright as you had hoped. Either way, you still have all of the direction, support, and help you need to navigate this journey. Let this bring you peace, spur on a sense of purpose and press you to find joy along the way.