So last night Eric and I were lucky enough to get away for a little date night. Instead of doing the usual dinner, we decided to switch things up a bit and go for a hike and watch the sunset at the top of the mountain. We got a little later start than expected, and by the time we got to the top of the mountain the sun was almost already down. We stopped briefly to look at the view and have a quick bite, but knew we needed to hurry down before it got too dark. We didn't worry too much because Eric had a flashlight and I thought I knew the way down since I had hiked there before.
We started on our way down, and we must have forgotten how fast the sun goes down during the winter, because within ten minutes it was completely dark all around us. Eric pulled out his flashlight to turn it on, and to our dismay the batteries were dead. We then realized we were pretty much the only ones still hiking on the mountain; we were getting nervous, but just kept trekking along. We were hiking along and the trail kept getting steeper then we remembered and we started not recognizing anything around us. At the same time it was getting darker and we could no longer even see where we were stepping. It didn't help that is was a cloudy night, with no moonlight to help us find our way. That is when we realized..we were lost.
Somehow without even knowing it we had wandered completely off the trail at some point. We tried to back-track, but we could not find the trail anywhere. We had no idea where we were. We decided to keep on going, and just take it slow, but started to get nervous as the mountain was getting steeper and steeper. We found ourselves going down the mountain with out hands braced on the ground with each step, feeling out each step with our feet. The rocks and ground also seemed to be getting more slippery and unstable, and when a rock slipped it seemed to fall a long way down.
At this point I started to freak out a little. We had left our twins with a 15 year old babysitter and we were already supposed to be home. We called out for help to see if anyone else was possibly around who may have a flashlight. No answer. We had the choice to keep going down and risk getting hurt or just to stop and sit down and wait it out until the morning. We did not really want to do that either though because it was getting cold and we didn't have jackets or blankets. If we kept going, we knew there were a lot of cliffs on this mountain and we risked getting hurt. If we stayed, we had no way to get a hold of our sitter, and we did not tell her or anyone else where we were going. We were worried that she would be pretty scared if we just didn't show up.
My husband and I stopped and both were praying silently to try and figure out what we should do. A short while later we saw a light in the distance. It seemed to come a little closer... sure enough - it was someone with a flashlight! My husband and I both started to yell, "Hello up there! "Do you know where the pathway is? We are lost". When the man could hear us he yelled back down. What he said had an impact on me. I felt a rush of emotion and relief. "I can hear you!” he said. "Stop, and turn around. You are headed towards dangerous terrain. Turn around, and follow the light!" We were far away and had to climb a long way to find the man. On our way, again he heard him yell, "I am here; I am waiting, follow the light!" What relief we felt, as we reached this kind man.
His name was John Walker; he was a doctor and an experienced hiker, especially on this trail. He told us that he had done this hike many times before and told us he would show us the way. He guided us through the darkness with his light and kept us on the pathway. As we proceeded down the mountain, he showed us where we had been going and you could see cliffs in that direction. It scares me to think of what of could have happened if we did not meet this kind man. He stayed with us, even though we (okay I:) were much slower than him, until we made it safely to the bottom. Words can't describe the gratitude we felt towards this man at that moment.
This experience really had an impact on me and made me think of the Savior and other people in my life who have helped me along the way. The moments before I saw the light, I really started to fear because I finally realized how lost we were and felt like we could not find our way out on our own. Words cannot describe the relief and comfort I felt as I looked up to see a light coming our way.
It literally made me think how the Savior and the light he brings reaches out to each of us when we find ourselves lost in the darkness, alone and scared. How he calls out to us, "You are going the wrong way and our headed towards danger. Turn around, and follow the light. I am here, I am waiting. Follow the light."
I know that Christ is the one true light that helps us find our way back through the darkness and shows us our way back to peace and love.
It also made me think about how aware God and Christ are of me individually and that they answered our prayer to send us help that night. How aware they are of our feelings, thoughts and needs. It made me also think about how others such as leaders, family, and friends act as "lights" for the Savior to show others the way, just as Doctor Walker shared his light with us and helped show us the way to safety.
Anyways, long story short, it was quite an eventful night, and I am grateful we made it home safely. I am also so grateful for this man for helping us, and that God listened to and answered our prayer. I hope my friends and family know that I have a testimony that Christ loves them individually and personally and that he is the one true light that will lead them through this crazy life. God lives and loves us. If you don't know, please pray to God to feel his love. If you have questions and want to know more, feel free to call me if you want to talk about it (disclaimer- I am a believer but VERY far from perfect.:) Love y'all!
