Never Alone

"Dad, I'm really nervous about school. I can hardly even sleep at night," Thomas told his dad. Their family had just moved to a new town, and Thomas was dreading his first day at the new school. "I have an idea," Dad replied. "Let's celebrate this new beginning with an adventure! Do you want to join me on a caving expedition?"Thomas's dad enjoyed exploring caves as a hobby, and Thomas had been asking his dad to take him for years. "Do you really mean it? Yes! That would be awesome!" he readily agreed.The next morning, Thomas and his dad drove to the mountains. After hiking to a rocky ridgeline, they climbed through a tiny hole and descended a subterranean slope into a pitch-black cave. At the bottom of the slope, Dad gave a surprising directive. "Let's turn off our headlamps for a moment, Thomas. I want you to experience true darkness."After turning off their lights, Thomas realized he couldn't even see his own hand. Immediately, he reached out to make sure his dad was still within arm's reach. Grabbing his dad's arm, he said, "Dad, this darkness is scary. Let's turn our lights back on."Dad complied, and the two adventurers spent the next hour exploring the dark cavern together. When the adventure was over, the long drive home was the perfect opportunity to reflect on the fun expedition."You were pretty scared when we turned out our lights in the cave, weren't you?" Dad asked Thomas."Totally! I knew you were there, but I felt really scared when I couldn't see you!" "Don't worry, Thomas, I was with you the whole time," Dad said. "And you know what else? Just like I would never leave you alone in a dark cave, God promises never to leave us. Even though we can't see Him, He's always watching over us and guiding us. Jesus is our light--He saved us from the darkness of sin and death--and we can trust Him to be with us and help us when things seem dark and scary. I want you to remember this lesson as you start school next week, okay?"Thomas smiled. "Did you take me caving just to teach me this lesson?""Maybe I did," Dad remarked with a grin.-Caleb and Stacey Pardoe