The Taillights In Front Of Me

My husband and I were going to a restaurant.
We were going to a retirement dinner for someone who works with my husband.
Both my husband and the retiree have worked for the same company for many years.
I talked to the man’s wife at many work functions through the years.

We are in that season of life.
There have already been some retirements and there will be others.
I knew the restaurant where the dinner was being held.
The restaurant is located on a golf course.

Do you want to meet me there? My husband asked me.
You could come to my office first and we could go together, he suggested.
I will just meet you at the restaurant, I said.
I was making a mental note of all the things I needed to do that day before I left for dinner.

My day was quite full.
I wanted to finish so I could sit, have a cup of tea, and relax a bit before I made the drive.
I was driving into lovely horse country.
I welcomed the time alone in the car to take in all the scenery.

Since it is not getting dark until well after 5:30, I knew that my drive would not be in the dark.
I love seeing the horses in their sweaters as they are out in the fields.
I wanted to take my time.
I wanted to see all that I could possibly see on the country roads.

There were other ways to get to the restaurant; however, the back roads are the best.
I set my GPS.
I knew basically how to get there.
I just wanted to be sure.

Beauty was all around me.
Horses were everywhere.
There were no other cars.
It was such a lovely drive.

The dinner was delightful.
It was so nice to see other wives that I only see at dinners like this one.
It was so wonderful to hear about their children and grandchildren.
It is special to see my husband in his element and support him in that role.

The retiree, my husband, and I were the last to leave the restaurant.
Others, who left minutes before us, were in the parking lot walking to their cars.
We said goodbye to the man we honored that evening.
My husband and I walked to our cars.

You want to follow me? My husband asked.
I do, I told him.
I did not set my GPS, since my husband would be  in front of me all the way.
I noticed the fog.

I drove behind him.
His red taillights led the way.
We got up to the road.
I could not see a thing.

All the bucolic scenery that captivated me along the way was now hidden.
I understood at that moment the expression: fog as thick as pea soup.
There was nothing familiar to me as I crept along.
The only frame of reference I had were the red taillights in front of me.

I knew that my husband would pull over if he thought it was unsafe.
He knew these roads.
Street signs were nonexistent.
County roads do not have white or yellow lines.

When we came to a stop sign, I prayed that no other car would get between me and my husband.
There were no other cars.
My husband turned.
I followed him blindly.

My husband was creeping along the road at a snail’s pace.
That was all we could safely do.
If I could have seen my knuckles, I already knew their color.
I knew they would have been white from the way I was gripping the steering wheel.

I prayed.
I do not remember if I even had music on while I was driving.
If I did, all I could hear was the beating of my own heart.
Oh, Father, I want to see, I said as a prayer.

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”  “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:46-52)

How many people go through life in a fog?
They cannot see spiritual things.
They cannot understand them.
They cannot grasp their meaning.

When you are spiritually blind, you have no moorings.
When you are spiritually blind, you follow whatever is directly in front of you.
The spiritually blind have no idea if what they are following is good and true.
The spiritually blind just follow what little bit they can see and hope for the best.

It is a dangerous thing to follow blindly.
My husband’s taillights were bright, but what if he was going the wrong way?
I had no idea which way to go.
I was trusting him to navigate.

After miles and miles on back roads, the fog seemed to lift.
We were approaching a small town.
I saw street lights in the distance.
I saw buildings, other cars, and street signs.

Imagine when a person’s spiritual blindness is lifted.
The person is no longer living in a fog.
The person can see clearly.
The person does not need to follow along blindly any longer.

What taillights are you following?
Just because they are bright, does not mean they are going in the right direction.
Just because they seem to be pointing the right way, does not mean they actually are.
You need your moorings to be set on the Truth of God and His Word.

Oh, Father, I want to see.
My prayer was similar to the prayer of Bartimaeus.
I want to see.
I want to see.

 

2 responses to “The Taillights In Front Of Me”

1. So true! There is so much “information” available nowadays, it’s easy to see why people get confused and can’t see the truth. But it’s there, in God’s Word. If only they would open a Bible and SEE the wonderful story of God’s love.

   Reply

   • Sue,
     We will never get lost if we follow God and His Word.
     Gina

     Reply