“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in you.”
— Psalm 39:7
A few years ago, we had a storm that came through Mesquite and knocked out the power at one of our elementary schools. I went out to the school. We were thinking about the possible need to relocate some students to another campus. It was an interesting scene. The normally bright, cheery school was a shadowy place. It was obviously a lot darker than usual. Storms do that. Storms sometimes blow through and cause us to lose power. We find ourselves in a darker place.
While I was visiting with the principal in the hallway, I saw an interesting episode. Two little boys were walking down the hall. One was older — probably a second grader — and the other was in the first grade. The bigger of the two had his arm around the smaller child and was clearly helping him. The principal saw the two boys and asked them where they were headed. The bigger boy said, “I am helping him find the cafeteria.” The principal replied that she would take him there. Then the older boy said, “Well, OK, but don’t lose him.” The principal assured the boy that she would not lose his friend.
The bigger child was concerned. He did not want his friend to get lost. He wanted him to be safe and to get to where he needed to be.
The school regained power after an hour or so. The lights came back on. The shadows disappeared. But, while it was dark, it was good that the first grader had a friend who could help.
Aren’t you glad our heavenly Father feels the same way about us? He knows where we are. He knows our names. He knows where we need to be and which way we should go. He will help us get there, even when there are temporary shadows of darkness around us.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
— Psalm 33:22