Guest Blog: "Another Step"

The thoughts of my wise and wonderful daddy: 

"Barbara J. Winter wrote - "When you come to the edge of all the light you know and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen:  there will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught how to fly."

Stepping into "the darkness fo the unknown" is an exact description of Judy's journey and our family's the past couple of years.  Stepping into the unknown is a walk of faith;  a road we have never traveled - with no warning signs or directions.  A road with many questions and uncertainly.  Many shattered dreams and sleepless nights.  The only sure thing:  God is faithful as He promised to never leave us or forsake us.

But God (my two favorite words in the Bible) gave us enough light to take the next step, however dark and insecure as it may have felt at the time.  Each time God's solid rock was there for us to stand on.  That "rock" came in many forms - your encouraging notes, your heartfelt prayers, your sincere love, your tearful singing, your uplifting scripture readings, your comfort food, the next treatment at Harrington, the smiles and hugs from the nurses and the Spirit of God Himself!  Yes, we felt His holy presence from time to time and, on occasions, I believe the Lord or His angels actually visited Judy.

A step at a time is all any of us need - all we can ask.  It is all God expects from us.  Trust and step.  We would be overwhelmed with the flash flood of despair if we were see beyond today!  For that reason Jesus said:  "therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

I listened to a Steven Curtis Chapman song today entitled "Take Another Step".  He proclaimed as he sang - "We walk by faith and not by sight, we know it's true.  We say and sing it and love the way it sounds but none of us can even begin to truly understand what it really means 'til all the lights go out.  And there we are, nothing to hold on to but the promises God made to me and you.  If there's an ocean in font of you, you know what you've gotta do.  Take another step and another step.  And maybe He'll take your hand and say:  'Let's take a walk on the waves.  Will you trust Me either way?'  And take another step, take another step."

God is teaching me to "get out of the boat" and take the next step by faith, not by sight, into the dark ocean of the unknown.

With each step, we are closer to home - the home in which we are created to live.  With each step, the darkness gets just a shade lighter as our faith moves us closer to "the Light" - and we will fly - just like Judy did at 2:34 pm, September 3, 2013.

So take another step - and do you see it?  A faint glimmer of light glowing on the dark horizon.

Be blessed!

Lanny"

Amen.