Turning Fear to Faithنموونە

Day 2: The Hunt

Spending time with my father as a kid was always special. I was fortunate to have a dad who took interest in me even after he’d had a long day at work.

Some of my most special memories are centered around our hunting trips. However, it wasn’t the hunts that I looked forward to the most, or even the conversations between us (which usually consisted of me asking an endless barrage of “Why?” questions). It was the one-on-one time with Dad that mattered.

As I got older, these occasions became perfect opportunities for me to discuss life with him and absorb his seemingly endless knowledge and wisdom. His advice was nearly always on target—just what I needed to hear. Then there were the times on these trips when neither of us spoke, yet I would sit resting in a silent security that brought great peace. Dad had a way of loving me, even in the quietest of moments.

On most of these hunting trips, he and I would arrive at the property in the darkness before morning light. Dad would gather all the necessary equipment, and off into the wild we would go. As we departed, his instructions were simple: “Stay close to me and be as quiet as possible.”

The walk from the car to the deer stand was probably no more than 20 minutes, but when you’re 5 years old and it's pitch-black all around you, 20 minutes seems like eternity. “Stay close and be as quiet as possible” meant I had to focus on every step I took. Yet the unfamiliar sounds of the woods fought for my attention. Every rustling of the leaves in the trees or hoot from a nearby owl produced the same kind of fear in me that I had at night, once my bedroom light was turned off. Inevitably, my dad would turn around and repeat the same command to be quiet and stay right behind him.

In retrospect, I see that each step my dad took put him closer to achieving his goal. But back then, what I realized was that somehow he knew where to walk, and if I could step where he did, then any potential danger or obstacle in my way was essentially done away with, leaving a tested path for my little feet to follow in.

The second thing that occurred to me back then was that there was just enough light coming from my dad’s flashlight to light each step of the way—but only one step at a time. Even though I was being stretched from one step to the next, this strategy paid dividends because it wasn’t long before Dad and I reached our destination.

Amazingly, I find this same sort of peace when I step in the direction that God would have me step. And the same strategy works too!

Following in Jesus’ footsteps requires my focused concentration. Aware that this is the way to living life to the fullest, I start each day with good intentions to walk where He is leading, one step at a time. Yet like the woods of my childhood, the distractions of the world seem to come from every direction. I get easily sidetracked, and inevitably I stumble off the path that Christ has provided. The beauty of the trek with Him is that His love and overwhelming grace allow me to retrace my steps and return to His side. Like the GPS directions on my phone, I can almost hear in a deep and powerful voice . . . “Recalculating”!

The key to any successful journey is to be able to recognize—and trust—the voice that is giving you directions and then to focus on the light by which you’re being led as you take each step. Jesus described Himself as the Light of the world, and He said that if you and I follow Him, we won’t have to walk in darkness because we will have the light that leads to life.

Truly, the simplest instruction is often the best instruction. When Jesus says, “Stay close to Me,” trust Him.

• John 8:12
• John 10:3–5
• Hebrews 3:6–8