A Light for My Path

There are certain songs that are forever lodged in my mind. Every once in a while one will tickle my ear at a random moment. Some go back a looooong way: to vacation Bible school, church camp, Sunday school. Some are just silly fun songs, like “Little Cabin in the Woods.” Some are spiritual, like “This Little Light of Mine.” I taught them to my children and to my grandchildren. One perennial favorite is “The Wise Man Built His House upon a Rock.” Songs with accompanying hand gestures are especially fun!

If you are unfamiliar with this song, it’s based on a parable Jesus taught at the very end of the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew Chapter 7. He said that a foolish man built his house on sand and when the rains came, the house was washed away because it had no firm foundation. But, a wise man built his house on rock, and his house withstood the storms. Jesus told the crowd that if they would heed all the words He had taught them, and put them into practice, His Word would be a firm foundation for them and they would withstand any storm.

The biggest storm I’ve ever faced was losing my daughter. My world was blown apart. How could I stand, walk, continue to conduct my daily life in the same way when a piece of my heart was torn out?

I’ll admit, my foundation wasn’t as solid as it should have been. I believed in God and that He had sacrificed His son to save my soul. But, I hadn’t been particularly in touch with Him on a regular basis. Things were going along well. I had my life pretty much under control. There had been some storms in the past, but I didn’t see any clouds on the horizon and didn’t realize I was neglecting the erosion that was happening in my faith life.

Then, wham! I was knocked to my knees by a 2-minute phone call. My daughter was dead. How could God let this happen? How could I stand? Well, on my knees was a good place to start. I could go back to the firm foundation of His Word. I could “practice what Jesus preached” in that famous sermon. If I was going to survive this storm, I needed to rebuild my base by admitting I had no control over the weather.

Spending time in God’s Word and praying a LOT did not make me miss my daughter any less. But, it did remind me that I have His promise to stand on. That His Son is my Rock. And the only way I can weather the storms of life is if I go to Him for support.

On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.

Edward Mote, 1834

Laura