“Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.”

–Psalm 119:105

I have a friend from my college days named Elliott who served for a time as a mission co-worker in Port Edward, South Africa. He was an economics major as was I and his work after college was in the business world, too, in his case in textiles initially and then commercial real estate.  A little over a decade ago, Elliott went on a mission trip from his church in Georgia to Mozambique and South Africa.  On returning home, he began to reconsider the direction of his life.  He had always been active with his United Methodist congregation, but began to sense a call to do something more.  His wife Catherine joined him on a subsequent trip to South Africa and afterwards they started to discuss moving there. They have three children, two of whom were still at home.  Catherine and Elliott were in their late 40s, an age when most parents are focused on saving for college or retirement or both  Yet they felt a tug to go. 

One morning, Elliott was driving on Interstate 85 near the Atlanta airport and looking up saw a lone plane in the air. It bore the name South African Airways. He pulled over on that busy road and watched as the plane disappeared. He had his answer. In the nine years afterwards, while continually raising their own funds, Catherine led literacy classes in Port Edward schools. Elliott taught computer skills and basic business practices to adults. Together they served as youth advisors in a local church.

One day, Elliott was teaching a class. His typical pattern was to offer a lesson on the subject for about 45 minutes and then conclude with a 15-minute devotional based on Scripture. “I never knew if they listened to it,” he told me “or if they just humored me, as no one ever commented on it.”

On this particular day, a severe storm was in the forecast so he finished the lesson early and said “Since the storm is getting close, I will save the devotional for another time. We’re finished.”  No one moved. Elliott urged them again to head for a safe place, yet no one budged. He asked why. One student raised his hand. “Teacher,” he replied, “you haven’t read to us yet from the Book.”  “But the storm is coming,” Elliott said.  “You’ll get wet.”  The man answered, “We’ve been wet before.”  So my friend offered the devotional message. After finishing, the storm, complete with lightning and a driving rain, came.  Yet the class stood up and headed out for home.

There are all kinds of takeaways from that account. It points to those moments in every life when one has to decide what is the priority and what can wait. It is a reminder that we often don’t know the impact that our deeds either until a situation arises that makes it clear. And that brief response shows how one voice can express the feelings of a group, determining the course of events to follow.

Yet at its most basic level, that moment from a computer class in South Africa reminds us of the gift found in Scripture. That whether we are new in our journey with God or a lifelong believer, a scholar of ancient languages or someone who cannot name the four gospels, there is great power in God’s Word.

The heading in my study Bible says the 119th Psalm is all about “The grandeur and the necessity of divine teaching.” Yet the unknown author sums it up beautifully in saying to God “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” A 21st century believer affirmed that such comfort and direction is worth even getting wet.

Word of Gladness, guide me on this day as I open the pages of Scripture that my soul will be fed and the path forward made clear. Amen.