On a hot August day, my friend Julie and I wore heavy coats and bike helmets—not because we were biking, but because we decided to go spelunking in the lava tubes in Northern California’s Klamath Basin. More accurately, I had decided to go.
Julie was visiting from Germany and was at the mercy of my adventurous tour. But when we found ourselves lost in an underground tunnel that involved crawling on our knees over lava rock, the fault was truly all mine.
Losing track of directions is one thing. I have plenty of experience with that. But being underground in pitch-black darkness with no sense of north or south is even more disconcerting. We talked aloud about what to do if our phone flashlights suddenly stopped working. Had that happened, we could’ve easily found ourselves on search and rescue lists. Fortunately, retracing one’s steps is wise, and we reemerged into the blindly bright high-desert landscape within no time.
On the surface, Julie and I marveled over how starkly
different the two worlds were: above ground, where the air was warm and we could see for miles, and below ground, where our breath hung in the air and we
couldn’t have seen our own noses in the darkness.
To God, I imagine our sinful lives look like overly ambitious explorers wandering in the cave and trying to find a way out. Personally, I seem to enjoy wandering in the darkness. It’s fun to see how far I can make it—before I trip and scuff my knees on volcanic rock or cherished sins, which will do far worse damage than any lava rock.
Jesus, too, ventured down into the
dark recesses of sin and showed us the way out—back to daylight, back to God.
Don't let stubbornness lead you to venture back underground. Instead, live in the hope and thankfulness of a life spent with Jesus.
Abigail Skelton is from beautiful Southern Oregon, where she grew up with an avid love for Jesus, chocolate, and writing. She has lived in three countries while involved in missionary work and frequently travels and studies foreign languages. You can connect with Abigail on her website: https://abigailskelton.com.
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