During my childhood, we played out in the street. Until I was ten, mom had two rules: stay within earshot, and never go as far as the brook. Well, one day a bunch of us decided to play explorers. We went directly to the brook and followed it downstream as far as a small waterfall. We circumvented the falls on land and went on to where the brook disappeared into a dark underground tunnel. Being young and stupid we decided to go into the tunnel to see where it went. In a few feet we found ourselves in pitch black darkness. Scared, we all turned around and were relieved to still see the light back at the entrance to guide us out.

Looking back at this memory, I see parallels to my Christian beliefs. God gave me life and warned me to always follow His instructions. Likewise, Mom gave me life and told me to obey her rules.

Sometimes we fail to follow the rules. We ignore God’s instructions and set out exploring other ways that lead to dark dangerous places. As kids, we ignored Mom’s rule and followed our curiosity into that forbidden brook tunnel.

The good news is that we can turn around and follow His light. Jesus will gladly welcome us back. Just as some scared little boys turned around, spotted the light at the tunnel entrance, and headed back home to the safety of Mom’s loving arms.

Jesus is the light of the world and His light dispels all darkness. Whenever we find ourselves straying, we can always repent, turn around, and run back to the light of our life, Jesus. He is always ready to forgive us. He will welcome us back into His loving arms. For remember, He loves you unconditionally.

Joey

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he 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

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46