Shadows

"Even though I walk through the valley of shadows....I will fear no evil, for THOU art with me!"

Shadows; reality; light; darkness....we see through a glass darkly, but one day no shadows.

Thank God for shadows - it means there is a light shining. But the brighter the light the darker and longer the shadows.

We project and perceive the shadow only as we stand in His light with our backs turned to Him.

Lord, help us to SEE OURSELVES for what we are but then turn to the light where the shadows soon disappear. Help us not to turn our backs to you.

I was walking with Sophia on a glorious, bright, blue skied crystal clear winter day. We had such fun as the light was shining on our backside. We could see each other's shadow and step on the arms and legs and heads that appeared on the cold pavement.

On the way back she was a little weary from the long journey down to the river so I made a game of walking in front of her and walking backwards so I could keep an eye on her and so she could see my shadow and quickly walk up the shadow of my leg to try and catch up with me. I couldn't have seen my own shadow unless I turned my back to the sun but Sophia following behind me would have, even if I was oblivious to that shadow earlier because my own eyes were being blinded by the bright sun that I was walking toward.

As I walk into this new year I want to walk facing the light. You are going to see my shadow at times. Me! In all my strengths AND weaknesses. Hopefully my shadow will continue to point you to Jesus because that is the direction I will be walking in - flawed and imperfect but ever following Him and allowing Him to transform me. As we join each other in this journey we will be less inclined to see the shadows we make and be more inclined to be dazzled by His Light.

If we walk in the light as He is in the light we will have fellowship with one another AND His blood will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Onward and upward, my friends!

P.S.
(To be truer to the Scripture found in Psalm 23 - it is called the Valley of the shadow of DEATH. Yes, sin and death project the shadows. C.S. Lewis wrote a book called Shadowlands. This is where we live until our mortal body is swallowed up by the immortal. We are in this together!)