“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?” Psalm 13:1
Reflection: The towpath and rail trail took me through a number of tunnels. Yes, there is “light at the end of the tunnel,” but what I often thought would be a walk of a few minutes turned out to be much longer. I would wonder that the bright speck at the end didn’t seem to be growing larger any faster. Yet since I had moving feet, I could count on the evidence before me that I would indeed emerge from the current darkness. Real life is messier. My eyes can’t physically see the evidence ahead. When hard circumstances and disappointments take me to a place where I am walking in a great Dark, I can’t see a way forward. I can only cry out like the psalmist. Gradually, sometimes so gradually it is hard to discern, night vision kicks in—that night vision of faith buried somewhere in my spiritual heart. With this night vision, I begin to recognize the Love of Jesus again, the one who for love died in darkness and rose to give life and light for me and the world. With this night vision, I can take another step in love, toward love.
Suggestions: (For those of you who like to comment directly on this blog, the comment feature had been inadvertently turned off. It is now reset to accept comments after approval. You may also comment, of course, on the Facebook link.)
1. Take this verse with you and ponder its meaning for you throughout the day. What do you notice? What do you wonder? (Clicking on photo enlarges it.) What is the next step of love for you?
2. Or read all of Psalm 13 to discover how this verse fits into the psalm or to discover a different verse.
3. Or comment with a photo of your own that illustrates this verse’s meaning for you.
Tomorrow’s verse: Psalm 14:7
Starting January 1, 2016, for 150 days I am posting a daily psalm verse with a photo that is a visual meditation on the text for me. Each day a verse from the next psalm is chosen until all 150 psalms have been featured. To participate you may subscribe to my blog at https://elainedent.net or “friend” me on Facebook and watch for the daily links to blog posts. Disclaimer: I am not a photographer and most of the photos are from a cell phone or small camera while hiking the Appalachian Trail or the C&O Canal/Great Allegheny Passage Trail.
holly simons says
I resonate with the “step by single step” in the darkness, Elaine. With eldercare for my aged Mom, there are so many unknowns, re-assessments, adaptations along the way. The “night vision” took many months to kick in for me (we’ve been in her home with her for 3 years), but today I’m grateful that the “tunnel vision” of TRUST in HIS control, HIS plan, has improved, by God’s grace.
Elaine says
I can’t begin to fathom all the steps that you have had to make(and have chosen not to make) in order to care for your mother—things let go and taken on in the dark not knowing where it would lead you. But it sounds like it has led into a life with greater love and deeper trust. Thanks for your inspiration for fellow tunnel pilgrims.