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Walk in the Dark
by Allen Scovil John strolled along the familiar street, on his way home from the Sunday night praise service at the church. The preacher had given an inspiring talk about faith, and John figured he had his faith pumped right up there. Darkness. He stopped, unable to see the sidewalk ahead of him. He thought it must be a power failure. Will you walk with me, John? John jumped and looked around, but was unable to see anyone. Whos there? God. Yeah, right. No, really. Would you like to walk with me? John thought quite hard, wondering if somebody was trying to pull something over on him. I dont know, he said finally. I cant see where Im going. I can see where youre going, and, if you want, Ill warn you when theres an obstacle, alright? Um ... There isnt a stick around here I could use, is there? Nope. Im all youve got. Oh. Right then. He decided to humour this stranger. Am I still going in the right direction to get home? Yes. John took a short, sliding step, then another. Itll take you a long time to get there at this rate, said the voice. John stopped. I told you I cant see. And I said Id tell you if there was something in front of you. Take one step sideways toward my voice. John took a deep breath and steeled himself. Okay, Ill trust you that far. He stepped as directed, then started walking a bit faster. Thank you. John slowed his pace again. If youre God like you say, why are you talking to me here? You expressed an interest in working with me, and I thought I should clear up some things for you. Watch it. Theres a curb just ahead. John became more alert, and, when he got to it, he stepped into the street. His eyes were dazzled by the headlights of an approaching car, and, as he turned his eyes away, he glimpsed the other curb. He paced over to it while he could remember how far it was. There you go; youve got to be doing it yourself. Whats wrong with that? I had an opportunity, and I took it. Naturally, and thats the problem. Remember what the preacher said tonight? He talked about acting supernaturally. Acting naturally may get you safely across the street most of the time, but it cant help you when youre battling against evil in the world. For that you need to become a hardened spiritual warrior, a person who will walk only when and where I tell them, even when they can see where theyre going. Oh. John could feel his face flushing. I guess I blew it then. Yes, but you can change. If youre willing to learn, to struggle in the face of what is natural in you, like a trainee soldier in boot camp, youll get there. So think about what I said. And thanks for chatting. Now, so that youll know I really am who I say I am ... The street lights came on. John looked around and saw that he was standing alone in front of his own house, five blocks from where he had been when the lights went out. He started to tremble, and sank down onto his knees. Alright, he muttered as he clenched his fists. Youve got my attention. Teach me what I need to know and I promise Ill listen. ### Allen Scovil has been writing as a hobby since 2003, struggling to learn to tell the story that God has put on his heart. (c) 2008 Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |