We were heading home from a family reunion in Calgary Alberta. It wasn’t a planned gathering; it just sorta happened. One family decided to visit another family and soon a snowball effect transpired as grandparents, cousins and siblings decided to converge at the one sister’s home. Families came and went as their schedules allowed and visits overlapped as some arrived while others departed throughout the week. Our first night there we had over 25 people sleeping in various places all around the house. During the day we played games (Dutch Blitz and TBGE – “the best game ever”) watched movies, cheered on Team Canada’s junior boys’ hockey team, sipped café lattes and just sat amidst love and commotion of all these people everywhere. It was loud, fun and a bit random; just like my ‘life’ tends to be.
A couple days later we headed back to BC. We quickly discovered the highway was covered with a sheet of ice. We drove, or should I say ‘slid’ along the trans-Canada for less than twenty minutes when we decided to turn around and head back. It just wasn’t safe.
About six hours later we headed out again, and although we could still feel the occasional swerve, we slowly made our way back home.
We traveled in darkness and the reflection of the highway signs detailed our route notifying us of the places we were passing through. But we could see nothing beyond the shine of our headlights. We had been traveling for about four hours when a sobering realization hit me. Because of our departure delay we had just traveled through one of the most beautiful parts of world without seeing any of its beauty.
There are few sceneries that rival the beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Of course I’m biased, but if you have ever taken the Trans Canada Highway through the Rocky Mountain National Park, I think you might agree with me. The mountains line each side of the highway and are majestic in structure and magnitude. Especially during the winter, the sun reflecting off the snow-capped ridges contrasting against the bright blue sky is particularly breath taking.
The original plan had been to drive through the mountains during the day which was forecasted as clear and crisp. But the roads played the tune “Slip-sliding away” and we had to change our travel plans and drive through majestic beauty in the dark… with my heart singing the blues.
The next day, after we arrived home safely, I opened my bible to look up some passages that were highlighted during the family impromptu-reunion. Specifically, my sister’s sister-in-law (yes, it was an ‘extended’ family gathering) had referenced 1 John.
I read the following:
“God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1: 5-7 NLT)
I immediately thought of the uselessness of traveling through the Rocky Mountains in the darkness. Sure, we got to our destination, but the joy of the trip was robbed. Because of the darkness we couldn’t see the beauty that we were driving right through. Those majestic mountains, reaching up into the sky displaying the contrast of pristine forests and rock face, were invisible in the night sky. The mountain passes, frozen waterfalls and winding ravines were there, but we couldn’t enjoy their beauty because we traveled in darkness.
In this upcoming year I want to walk in light. I want to see the beauty around me. I want to enjoy each day in relationship with God, because in him there is no darkness. Living in the light is allowing God to show us when we mess up. It means allowing his forgiveness to not only free us from our guilt but also giving us a venue to extend forgiveness to those who hurt us. Walking in the ‘light’ enables us to journey each day at peace with God and in healthy relationships around us.
As we travel through 2011 my wish for all of us is that we live in the light. I pray that our journey will be in fellowship with God so that we can see and enjoy the splendor of each day.
Oh! I so agree with you, Doris! Also, I want to say something about the beauty you feel you missed travelling at night. Although our sight is limited when the daylight is gone, there is much beauty in what we perceive as darkness. I think it is God’s way of moving closer to us because … don’t you feel closer to God when the world seemed closed off to the “noise and bustle” of being in the daylight ,.. more exposed so that in allot of cases we are putting on a different suit of clothes and don’t always “see” people or things are they truly are … gifts and wonders of God. So, in the “darkness” we come closer to God and have much deeper insights and clearer ears to hear His whisper. What do you think?
I’ve missed reading your blogs and was happy to receive this one!
What a great blog Doris, I love how when I read your writing I see what you are talking about. I felt like I was actually driving through the Rockies. What a cool illustration for that verse. It is so true how when we don’t walk in the light we often still get where we are trying to go but miss out on what God has planned for us. Thanks Doris, I am always delighted to see you have written a new blog