Even In The Darkness
Story: Even in the Darkness
Jill gasped with wonder as she reached the mountaintop and caught sight of the view. There in the distance, she could faintly see her future home glistening in the sunlight. For a few moments, Jill completely forgot about everything else except the beautiful scene before her.
“Oh, Father, it’s so beautiful,” Jill finally managed to whisper.
Her father smiled as he placed his hand on his daughter’s shoulders. “It’s even lovelier than you can see from here. Jill, the path there may get difficult at times, but keep thinking about the beautiful home I've prepared for you and my promise to guide you safely there. Know that no matter what happens to you on the way, I will never leave or forsake you."
Jill soaked in these words in happy silence. She felt so happy she could hardly speak. One day she would get to live with her father in that beautiful home! And her father had promised to be with her and guide her--how could she keep from being happy with such a promise?
After a few minutes, Jill's father started down the path. With one last look at the beautiful scene, Jill turned and followed him. She wondered why her father had told her to keep thinking about her future home and his promise. Her heart felt so light and happy, and the thought of her future home so completely consumed her, that she wondered how she could ever forget what she had just seen.
As time wore on, the sun began to sink behind the horizon, and the path Jill and her father were walking began to descend into a briary thicket. Jill suddenly found herself stumbling through thick brush in a growing twilight.
Soon the darkness had grown so great and the thicket so thick that Jill could not see which way to go! Confusion and panic seized her heart. She felt like giving up and abandoning her journey -- anything to get out of this terrible thicket!
Although Jill looked around for her father, she could not see him. She began to wonder if he had abandoned her or no longer loved her. Overwhelmed, Jill sank onto a log and burst into tears. She couldn't stand this! “Oh, Father, where are you? What is happening?” she sobbed.
To her great surprise and delight, she felt a reassuring arm on her shoulder and heard a voice say, “I’m right here, Jill.”
Jill looked up, but she still could not see anything. “I - I can't see you. Everything is so-so dark.” Jill shuddered as she spoke. The sun had now completely vanished behind the horizon.
“I know you can’t see me, but I’m right next to you," Jill's father assured her. "I told you that I would never leave you—no matter what you go through or do. Have you forgotten what I showed you and said to you on the mountaintop?”
Jill hung her head. She had forgotten, hadn’t she? “Yes, I guess I have,” she confessed with shame.
“My darling daughter, remember that I am here in this dark thicket just like I was up there on the mountain. Even though you cannot see me, I am always with you. Get up and press forward again.”
“But I don’t know which way to go!” Jill saw no way she could possibly navigate through the dense brush around her.
“I know the way, and I will direct you,” Jill’s father explained.
“But what if I make a wrong step or mishear your directions?” Jill asked. She felt so afraid of doing something wrong in the darkness that she simply wanted to stay still and do nothing. Her father’s next words caught her completely by surprise.
“My dear daughter, you will take wrong steps, and you will mishear my directions at times. But I am right here with you, and I promise to bring you safely to the home I’ve prepared for you. No matter what may happen or how you may mess up, I will take care of you.”
Jill was silent for a moment as she absorbed her father’s words. Then she slowly got up and hesitatingly started on her way again. She would trust her father to lead her. She would try to remember what she had learned on the mountaintop. This dark thicket was only temporary—one day she would get to live with her father in the home he had already prepared for her. And even now, her father was guiding her, watching over her even when she stumbled and fell.
Although the darkness had only grown darker and the thicket seemed to be even thornier, Jill no longer felt the same suffocating panic squeezing her heart—that is, until she stopped thinking about her father and her future home and began looking at the darkness and thicket. Jill found that she had to continually watch out when her mind began to wander and her heart began to fear.
I wish I could report that Jill made it through that forest without ever stumbling or going the wrong way, but that wouldn’t be true. Jill often misunderstood her father’s directions and stumbled, just like her father had warned her she would. But her father was always right there to help her and teach her. In fact, Jill’s father always managed to use Jill’s falls to strengthen her and prepare her for what she would face next. His patience never expired, and his love never faltered. Jill began to realize that she could rely on her father, not just when she could see him, but even when the confusing darkness hid his face.
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ! Take to heart the story of Jill! God our loving heavenly Father is always with us! Through faith in Christ we know He has a place prepared for us! The trail is challenging at times and there is much heartache and difficulty, but Jesus is faithful to His promise! He will never leave our side and He will guide us home!
Blessings this week!
Pastor Russ
Jill gasped with wonder as she reached the mountaintop and caught sight of the view. There in the distance, she could faintly see her future home glistening in the sunlight. For a few moments, Jill completely forgot about everything else except the beautiful scene before her.
“Oh, Father, it’s so beautiful,” Jill finally managed to whisper.
Her father smiled as he placed his hand on his daughter’s shoulders. “It’s even lovelier than you can see from here. Jill, the path there may get difficult at times, but keep thinking about the beautiful home I've prepared for you and my promise to guide you safely there. Know that no matter what happens to you on the way, I will never leave or forsake you."
Jill soaked in these words in happy silence. She felt so happy she could hardly speak. One day she would get to live with her father in that beautiful home! And her father had promised to be with her and guide her--how could she keep from being happy with such a promise?
After a few minutes, Jill's father started down the path. With one last look at the beautiful scene, Jill turned and followed him. She wondered why her father had told her to keep thinking about her future home and his promise. Her heart felt so light and happy, and the thought of her future home so completely consumed her, that she wondered how she could ever forget what she had just seen.
As time wore on, the sun began to sink behind the horizon, and the path Jill and her father were walking began to descend into a briary thicket. Jill suddenly found herself stumbling through thick brush in a growing twilight.
Soon the darkness had grown so great and the thicket so thick that Jill could not see which way to go! Confusion and panic seized her heart. She felt like giving up and abandoning her journey -- anything to get out of this terrible thicket!
Although Jill looked around for her father, she could not see him. She began to wonder if he had abandoned her or no longer loved her. Overwhelmed, Jill sank onto a log and burst into tears. She couldn't stand this! “Oh, Father, where are you? What is happening?” she sobbed.
To her great surprise and delight, she felt a reassuring arm on her shoulder and heard a voice say, “I’m right here, Jill.”
Jill looked up, but she still could not see anything. “I - I can't see you. Everything is so-so dark.” Jill shuddered as she spoke. The sun had now completely vanished behind the horizon.
“I know you can’t see me, but I’m right next to you," Jill's father assured her. "I told you that I would never leave you—no matter what you go through or do. Have you forgotten what I showed you and said to you on the mountaintop?”
Jill hung her head. She had forgotten, hadn’t she? “Yes, I guess I have,” she confessed with shame.
“My darling daughter, remember that I am here in this dark thicket just like I was up there on the mountain. Even though you cannot see me, I am always with you. Get up and press forward again.”
“But I don’t know which way to go!” Jill saw no way she could possibly navigate through the dense brush around her.
“I know the way, and I will direct you,” Jill’s father explained.
“But what if I make a wrong step or mishear your directions?” Jill asked. She felt so afraid of doing something wrong in the darkness that she simply wanted to stay still and do nothing. Her father’s next words caught her completely by surprise.
“My dear daughter, you will take wrong steps, and you will mishear my directions at times. But I am right here with you, and I promise to bring you safely to the home I’ve prepared for you. No matter what may happen or how you may mess up, I will take care of you.”
Jill was silent for a moment as she absorbed her father’s words. Then she slowly got up and hesitatingly started on her way again. She would trust her father to lead her. She would try to remember what she had learned on the mountaintop. This dark thicket was only temporary—one day she would get to live with her father in the home he had already prepared for her. And even now, her father was guiding her, watching over her even when she stumbled and fell.
Although the darkness had only grown darker and the thicket seemed to be even thornier, Jill no longer felt the same suffocating panic squeezing her heart—that is, until she stopped thinking about her father and her future home and began looking at the darkness and thicket. Jill found that she had to continually watch out when her mind began to wander and her heart began to fear.
I wish I could report that Jill made it through that forest without ever stumbling or going the wrong way, but that wouldn’t be true. Jill often misunderstood her father’s directions and stumbled, just like her father had warned her she would. But her father was always right there to help her and teach her. In fact, Jill’s father always managed to use Jill’s falls to strengthen her and prepare her for what she would face next. His patience never expired, and his love never faltered. Jill began to realize that she could rely on her father, not just when she could see him, but even when the confusing darkness hid his face.
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ! Take to heart the story of Jill! God our loving heavenly Father is always with us! Through faith in Christ we know He has a place prepared for us! The trail is challenging at times and there is much heartache and difficulty, but Jesus is faithful to His promise! He will never leave our side and He will guide us home!
Blessings this week!
Pastor Russ
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