Mowing in the Dark by Phil

It has been HOT in Kansas City. Normally, heat like this means the grass goes dormant so I don't have to mow as often. Unfortunately, the weeds don’t seem to mind the high temperatures at all—they just keep flourishing.

Most mornings, by the time the dew has evaporated, it’s already pushing 100°. Some of my more adventurous neighbors mow in the heat of the afternoon, but I happen to be allergic to perspiration and general discomfort. So, I wait to mow until the sun is almost down and the thermometer finally begins to drop.

That strategy backfired on me recently. It was still 95° at 8:00 p.m., but I knew I had to get started. I almost made it to the north side of the house before it became too dark for my weary eyes to see where I was going. Instead of giving up, I had a rare moment of inspiration: I grabbed my hands-free neck light—the kind with two flashlights pointing forward. It worked perfectly, casting a bright circle of light about twenty feet in front of the mower. I could easily track my previous tire lines and finished the entire yard just in time for bed. As a bonus, I gave my neighbors something to ponder: What kind of idiot mows his yard in the pitch dark?

When I mow in the daytime, I can see the whole yard at once. I see the property lines, the neighbors' yards, and the cars driving down the street. In the dark, however, all I could see was what was directly in front of me. I couldn't see the end of a row until I arrived there. I couldn't see the trees until I came right upon them. I couldn't look over at the neighbors' lawns to judge if they were freshly trimmed or sitting unruly. It was just me and a small circle of light revealing the next few feet of my path.

I think our Christian walk is a lot like that.

We love to see God's big picture—how everything fits together and whether everyone else is (or isn't) doing their part. The problem is that when we can see the whole landscape, our focus drifts. We spot obstacles and worry about them long before we reach them. We feel overwhelmed seeing how much work is left to do. Or we get tempted to play the comparison game with those around us.

When all I had was that small circle of light, those distractions vanished. All I could focus on was where I needed to step for that single minute. But those minutes added up, and eventually, I crossed the finish line with a beautifully trimmed lawn.

Jesus 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

Notice Jesus didn't promise there would never be darkness. Darkness is all around us in this fallen world. But when we follow Him, He promises to light our path. He may not reveal the entire journey at once—few of us have the grace or discipline to handle that anyway. Instead, He shines His light just far enough for us to take the next step, and then the next.

He will never leave us to stumble in the dark. If we find ourselves lost in the shadows, He isn't the one who moved. Step back into the light, look right in front of you, and take the next step forward.
​

Step by step,
Phil and Pam

​Click Here to Check our Concert Schedule!​

​Check us out on Facebook! - http://www.facebook.com/PhilandPamMorgan​