When You Can’t See

Not too long ago I found myself driving in a downpour. On the outside I tried to keep a calm front. On the inside I panicked. My hands gripped the steering wheel. My eyes dropped from the road ahead to the pavement right in front of me.

Right, left, right, left. I shifted my eyes back and forth from the yellow stripe on the right to the broken white lines on the left. As long as I can see both I know I’m in my lane.

The stark silence must have tipped Luke off to my concern. He noticed my frantic eyes and calmly said,

“Don’t look at the road, babe. Just watch the car in front of you. Stay behind that car,” he pointed. “As long as you go where he goes, you’ll be okay.”

His plan seemed too simple. And how is he so relaxed anyway? Cats and dogs are falling on my windshield. I have no idea where I am, and he hasn’t even broken a sweat. Just follow the car in front of me? I squeezed the wheel tighter and tried to look ahead. The rain hid the car so much I could barely make it out. But the tail lights glowed. Just enough for me to follow.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 199:105 (KJV)

The truth is, we’ve all likely tread down this road before. Dark skies. Blinding rain. Unfamiliar roads. And when we do, our eyes shoot straight to the road. We sweat. We stress. When all we have to do is watch the One in front of us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 (NIV 1984)

But what if the sky is so dark or the road is so new that even the glow from the tail lights seems faint? What if we can’t see at all?

As we tucked the boys into bed tonight, we gazed at the glow of the plastic stars stuck to the ceiling. To enjoy the stars the room has to be dark. So, the light that usually peeks out from under the closet door wasn’t there anymore.

“Dad, I can’t see you!” Elijah pleaded with an anxious heart, “Turn the light back on.”

“Can you hear me?” Luke said from two feet away. “Even if you can’t see me, you can hear me, so you know I’m here.”

When days are dark and God seems still, we can always hear him. He gave us His words. He told us His heart. He showed us His love. It’s all there, right at our fingertips. Genesis to Revelation.

And if we can hear Him, we know He is here. Even when we can’t see.

Luke kneeled next to Elijah and whispered a prayer:

Help me trust you even when I can’t see you. Help me have faith even when I can’t feel you, because I know you’re always with me.

I pray your road is sunny today, but if it’s not, will you whisper this prayer, too?

How do you navigate a storm? Leave a Comment! and share it with us.