Imagine yourself in a deep, dark forest. It's late at night; there is a heavy cloud cover -- no stars or moon to light your path. All you have is a small household flashlight. If you're going to "find your way," you must follow the small area of illumination the flashlight is displaying. You don't know what lies outside of the illuminated area -- it could be something frightening or dangerous. You must stay on the path that is being illuminated to find your way.
Here's where I mess up: I want to look beyond the illumination -- I "project" my fears of today onto my tomorrows. I want to know what lies outside of the illumination, so my mind starts projecting events, getting me into dark forest trouble. Then I think I "know" what the future will bring. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Of course, this reminds me of the wonderful words of Jesus from Matthew 6: 25-34: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father know that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Final thoughts: God is in charge of what's outside of today's "illumination." He gives us enough light to carry on His will for our life TODAY. He gladly takes on what's outside of the illumination (things that make us fearful, like the unknown in the dark forest). That's HIS job and he does it quite well without me! So I need to remind myself to stay in the moment -- in today and He will accomplish great things through me and I will not fear.
The light of a flashlight is not very far-reaching -- as it should be! Let me stay within the illumination, out of sight of the fearful things in life, and praise HIM for my peace.
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