Lamp unto my feet..

This past week I took a "vacation" to see some family in Wisconsin. I put "" around vacation because there was a lot of driving, lots of kids, and lots of thinking. I stayed at my sister's house, which is in a small town in the middle of nowhere. There are a total of 457 people that make up this "town". Cell service is hard to come by for an AT&T customer and internet was hit or miss. I felt like I played "mom" for a week to 4 wonderful and beautiful kids, Chiara-8, Ethan-6, Isaac-2, and Jonny-1. Me who is used to the quiet, peaceful presence at "The 15", woke up daily to the sounds of kids screaming, running up and down the hall, laughing, and just being kids.....at 7:30 AM! Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute I spent with the munchkins...even the crabby ones and when they 2 youngest had high fevers, but not being able to sleep in on vacation, was a bummer. Then there was the driving-it started off with a 12 hour drive there, then 30 minutes to get ANY where from my sister's house, and of course every day we had somewhere to be. Megan and I had some few favorite songs picked out we listened to on every drive. But the time where it was quiet, the times when I was able to process some things in my brain, I came upon this realization that all this ranting is about. Night lights:)

My sister of course, living with 4 kids has to have lights on a night for when they wake up and need the bathroom or need to venture into Mommy and Papi's bed. I was pondering the idea that I had recently talked to with a friend about how God lights our path. About His word being a lamp unto our feet. The only thing about this is that we can usually only see a few steps in front of us. Sometimes that frustrates me, sometimes I want to see more. But I know it is for my own good that God allows me to see only a short distance. Then my mind pondered to night lights. You can place night lights along the hall to illuminate a small space. Each light shows you what's around it but not much ahead. If you place the lights down a path, you can see more than just what's in front of you. I believe this is true with our own lives. Except we don't place those "lights" in our lives, but God does. The people He surrounds us with, the people He places on our path, on our journey of life, illuminate different parts of our lives. Those people who give us wisdom, those people who help us when we can't continue, those who call us out on our crap because they love us, all those people help us see a little bit further in our lives. 

After that realization, I started thanking God for all those lights in my life. I started to think about those teachers who were a source of light when I didn't know any better. I thanked God for those friends who called me like it was and out of love, held me accountable for walking the right path. I'm thankful for those moments I was on my face and felt like I couldn't more any more and the brightest light of them all was there to pick me up. I'm thankful I see the light of Jesus in my life and the darkness I would be in if I didn't live for Him. I pray that each one of you who read this will realize there is a Light guiding you. There is a Night light in your life, if you just take your eyes of the darkness, He is there. 

For all those wondering, I had a wonderful time. I miss my kiddos and wish for just one more hug and kiss, but then that would leave me wanting just one more. I'll never get over the feeling of one of my little guys falling asleep on my chest knowing he was completely safe and loved. I pray that I can be a "night light" in little Jonny's life as well as the rest of those I am blessed to walk this journey with.