I'm not afraid of the dark!

There are things that, sometimes, I think about doing or becoming.  It's not that I'm unhappy being who I am at present - it's more like I have this desire to explore all the intricacies of my God-made self.  I once heard a statement that went something like this:
"Within every human there exists.......
information to cure the common cold,
the harmonious notes of untold numbers of symphonies,
words of inspiration to fill countless libraries with books,
the very inspirations needed to foster world peace,......."
It's kind of cool to think about how we are so wonderfully designed by our Heavenly Father.  So why haven't I stumbled on the greater complexities of self?  I'll continue to contemplate that one on my own time.  The truth of the matter, however, is that the very thing that keeps any of us from finding those "hidden things/gifts" within ourselves is our lack of tenacity in the search.


I could take an inordinate amount of time to poetically tell you of all the wonders that abide in all people, but  in doing so, I would miss the very thoughts that led me to this page and to this writing, for in my list of things that "I WOULD LIKE TO BE" or "THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TRY," physicist has never surfaced.  Nope, never has and never will (unless God increases my tenacity in the search).  But recently, while reading Psalm 23, my thoughts returned again and again and again to the part that talks about the valley of the shadow of death.  Do a little research on this phrase, and you will find that the Valley of the Shadow of Death was actually a recognized area in what we now call the holy land.  No kidding!  It is one of the names given to the road that stretched between Jerusalem and Samaria where the Good Samaritan helped the man along the way.  It was a winding road that was very steep, and shepherds had to take their flocks through it on their way to fields.  People (not the neighborly kind, either) would hide in the caves to steal the lambs to eat or ambush the unguarded traveler.  I'd be a little nervous about such travel conditions, too, wouldn't you?

Well, from there, I started thinking about why certain words within that phrase evoke such emotion for the reader.  It's all about light and darkness, good and evil, safety and danger.  A little information here: I'm 48, but I STILL don't like being in dark, unfamiliar places. 


So, I let my mind wander a little deeper into the passage, and the word that propelled my physicist-like exploration (that's even gross to type) was shadow.  Stick with me on this one, for the path is going to get a little more complex (complex being relative to the size and shape of my brain - so fear not).  A shadow is defined (loosely) as: an area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object.  It occupies all of the space behind an opaque object with light in front of it.  That's easy to understand, I suppose.  Visible light, you see, spreads out in waves as it leaves its source.  These waves travel in straight lines through the air until they hit an object.  The object itself will absorb some of the waves and reflect some back into the air.  Light waves will not be able pass through most materials, unless they are clear, like glass.  Behind any object that has stopped the light waves is a dark spot, or shadow, which is simply a space where no light is. 


And what does all of this mean?  Well, it's little more than HOGWASH if you miss the all-important word and its empirical connotation: LIGHT.  Gregg Carr, my buddy for all seasons, once told me that "in order to have shadows you've got to have light," and that's physics 101.  Dear Christian, Jesus Christ is the light and our sin and heartache compose the shadows.  But even in our days of darkness, the light of Jesus never stops shining (this sounds like something I've read before).  God's love is like a beacon on a hillside, shining for all the world to see - shining so that the pathway is able to be safely traversed.  Light - an illuminating agent or source, as the sun, a lamp, or a beacon.  Try it this way: Light - an illuminating agent or source, as the SON, a Lamp, or a Beacon.


In light of those facts, the entire 23rd Psalm was written with this in mind -- God watching over us while we go from one place to another known to be inhabited by thieves and ___________________.  Go ahead.  Put your present heartache, your present pain, your present suffering, your present confusion in the blank, for He covers that with His light as well.


So, fear not fellow travelers, I'm not afraid of the dark..........for I know the Son, the Lamp, the Beacon!!!!!

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He refreshes my soul. 

He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley

(the valley of the shadow of death),

I will fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever!

Selah (סֶלָה )