Unshackled Moments ~ May 13 ~ Don't Spare The Batteries

Nobody can see in the dark without help. If there's not some light coming from somewhere, a human being can't see. How much light is needed to make do with varies from individual to individual. I remember times years ago walking at a brisk pace through woods at night with only the low light of the moon to shine enough light on the situation to keep me from running into a tree or tripping on limbs and brush on the ground. On those evenings I usually just kept  my eye on my Dad or Uncle Johnny as best as I could, since both of them always seemed to be able to see in less light than I could. I would duck where they ducked and step where they stepped to the best of my ability, and it usually worked. There were times I saw the limb after I had already ducked.

Even though my eyes weren't as night friendly as Dad's, I did ok for a long time. Often when I had to be out for any length of time I would use a flash light intermittently. This is another trick I learned from my father and his brothers. At times when there's not enough moon, use a flashlight, but don't waste the battery. I though at the time that batteries aren't cheap, I thought that we were always that broke. I remember having that lesson ingrained. Don't waste the batteries. I still do it  today, sometimes without even thinking about it. I use the flashlight to see enough of the path to tell what and where the obstacles are, then turn the flashlight back off and walk through that area before turning it back on again. I sometimes wonder if this on and off every few minutes doesn't take more battery than just leaving the light on, or if it saves enough to be worth stumbling in the dark. But to do this while Coon Hunting made sense, and I understand it today. They weren't pinching pennies, they were pinching power.  

You couldn't know how long you were going to be out in the woods or exactly what might happen. There was no way to plan exactly how much light you might need, so if you could make do  without it during part of the time, then that's what you did so that you knew if you needed it you'd have light. Yes, it makes sense to do this through the night with a flashlight and limited battery, but it doesn't make sense when we do it spiritually. We can't see in the dark to know where we're going or what the obstacles are that we need to avoid. We need the light of God to light our way, and our spiritual batteries are rechargeable, even while they're in use.

The same Word that makes it possible for us to hear and brings faith is also the Word that is a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. The Word in our hearts and minds acts as a light to guide us through the darkness of life, and it also acts to turn us into lighthouses that can lead others to safety. And like a lighthouse, it works better when the light is burning brightly. Let it burn and set it on high. Shine for the world to see, and shine so that we don't have to guess where to step in the dark. Don't worry about the batteries. To make sure that we have plenty of and easy access to the light, all we need to do is meditate regularly on the Word of God, take it in, chew on it, think about it. The more we spend time with the source of all power the more charged we become, and God's got plenty of power to spare. He'll never run low or leave us stranded in the dark. Stay close, stay charged, but don't be afraid to leave the light on. Don't spare the batteries. Let your light shine.