So anyway, as we are making our way to the car my wife remarks that it seemed unusually dark in our parking area tonight. I responded with a typical grunt (watching too many Tool Time re-runs I guess) and off we went to Target.



Upon returning ($70 poorer despite having "saved" lots of money) I observed that the light post on our corner was not working, hence the unusually dark parking area. You see, I also watch a lot of Monk and Columbo so I have detective skills a plenty.

Of course, out of pure manly instinct, I walk over to "fix" the light. After a detailed evaluation of the situation, which took all of ten seconds, I decided the proper "fix" would be hitting the lamp post as hard as I could with the side of my fist (again, I refer you to Tool Time comment above).

Much to my surprise, the light actually came on, sparking a rare profound thought in my mind...

As a Christian, this lamp is much like the relationship I have with God.

Some days, I can feel Gods light shining upon me and showing me the way. However, most of the time, I simply take Gods presence for granted.

On that rare occasion when it seems that God has "left me in the dark" to fend for myself, I usually react by beating at Gods lamppost (either in prayer or out loud) demanding he show me the light... please!

God, being loving and faithful, never seems to leave me in the dark for very long, often returning his guiding light to me as quickly as the lamppost did the night I "fixed" it.

So I am going to do my best to try and remember the little lesson that God taught me that night under that broken lamppost, and I hope perhaps you also will be able to learn something from everyday experiences like these.

The biggest question for me now is, will I seek the necessary maintenance to keep that light shining upon me, or will I simply forget that the fix was temporary and go on my merry way until I find myself once again wandering in the dark?

I can only hope that if I do forget this lesson, God will be a little more gentle with me than I was with that lamppost.