I've been walking through this darkness for quite some time now. Being lead by someone that I don't really know all that well but he seems to know where he's going. What frustrates me though is that we're going so slow. I'm kinda getting tired of it actually. Why is this person moving so slow? Why isn't he moving faster if he knows where he's going?
As I continue walking, I remember that I have been carrying a torch all this time. Why haven't I been using it? I pull it out and light it. The light illuminates a larger area. I can see in front of me now. In fact, I can see so much more now! This is great! I can get to where I am going so much faster. The person who was leading me stops and says, "You should put out your torch." I replied, "Pft, you don't know what your talking about. Look at all I can see! I'm going my own way now. Your way doesn't make any sense." The man looked at me slightly disappointed but said, "Alright, go ahead."
So I venture ahead with my in hand and my path illuminated. I've been walking for about an hour now and things are going great! I think to myself, "This is so easy, I don't know why I didn't do this earlier." As I continue walking, I see something ahead of me. Is that a lake? I come up to it and it was indeed a lake. I raise my torch to see if there is a way around. No such luck, this lake seems to go for quite awhile. So I make a decision and go one way. I continue walking and I eventually find a way around it. Again, I say to myself, "No problem at all. This is easy as long as I have my own torch." Shortly after I said that though, I run into another road block. This time it was a mountain. Well, I guess the only way for me is to climb this. I wonder how big this is? So I begin to climb...
A day has passed since I started the mountain and I still haven't reached the top yet. My torch is still going but I can't seem to see any further than the light from the torch. I'm starting to get pretty hungry and thirsty because I haven't seen water or food during this trek.
It is now nightfall of day 2 and I am feeling so weak from a lack of food and water. I am starving now. I get to the point where I can't go ahead anymore... I collapse from exhaustion. Here I am, lying down in torment, dying from starvation, and no one knows where I am. Is this the end of me?
I begin to think. How in the world did this happen to me when I could clearly see so far with my torch? Then I thought back to when the man was leading me without my torch. I realized that I was never hungry and I never got lost. In fact, I was always satisfied. Even though we were going slow, the path that was taken was never more than I could handle. Did my own torch blind me from the right path?
I think about it some more and I soon realized that the man who lead me knew exactly where I needed to go and wanted to take me there safely and on his time. As soon as I lit the torch, I blinded myself and ventured away from his guidance. Clearly this man was my true light and not this torch I have been carrying. Now here I am, dying, and not able to take care of myself.
There's nothing more I can do now. The torch I have lit has now burnt out and I am now laying in darkness. So with the last ounce of my strength, I cry out for help. I can't do this on my own anymore. After I cried out for help, there was silence. My cry echoed in the darkness...
After the echo faded, I heard the sound of leaves crackle. I spoke with a parched voice, "Who's there?" A voice in the darkness replies, "Hey Justin, it's me, remember?" I lie there speechless. I recognize this voice. It was the voice of the man who was leading me! This man I left and completely disrespected has heard my cry for help and has come to save me. The man walks up to me, and lifts up my head and gives me something to drink. For some weird reason, that one drink has completely rejuvenated me. I get up and the man looks at me and says, "Will you let me lead the way now?" I reply to him, "Yes. I don't know where I am going. You lead the way." I throw my burnt out torch aside and begin to follow the man. The darkness is here but I feel safe and at peace knowing that this man is guiding me in the right direction.
