Some days life’s path is dark. What light exists is subdued. The darkened path ahead appears to offer little hope of better days. Companions that were once our guardians against the darkness are no longer with us. While those who filled our days with laughter and purpose and kept the darkness at bay have grown up and moved on to travel their own paths. We wander alone. The darkness stalks us just biding its time. Waiting for us to make choices that will lead us further into the dark.

Then very faintly we hear a still small voice saying, “This is the way. Walk in it.” Yet, the voice is indistinct. We aren’t even sure we heard it right. It’s not a voice we have paid much attention to in the past. But in the darkness there is a louder voice competing for our attention. Challenging us to pay no mind to that faint voice. This voice is more familiar. For it consistently intrudes our thoughts. Yet, each moment we tune our ears to that quiet voice, the more our reception of it increases. Likewise, the volume of the voice in the darkness decreases.

And as we continue along this darkened path and heed the soft voice, subtle changes slowly emerge. A flicker of light illuminates our next step. And step by step the light continues to guide us. And as we move forward, the darkness slowly looses its boldness. It’s then we notice that someone has been walking with us all along.

We gaze ahead and further down, just beyond the darkness, we notice our path is illuminated. The brightness gives us something to look forward to. Strange how we couldn’t see it before! Perhaps our downcast perspective hampered our view. Head lifted, we fix our vision on the lighted path ahead. A fresh cleansing breeze begins to blow.