There's a light at the end of the tunnel!

     Have you ever heard someone say, “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel?” I’ve heard the statement many times in my life and shared it with my husband during some of our trials.

     I remember when my husband had a few years left in college and was working two jobs to keep our small family fed. We were really low on money and had a third child in my belly. We could not see a way to finish his last year in college. We became so discouraged and were ready to quit trying for his graduation certificate, but miraculously the money appeared for the last year of his schooling! I remember how hard it was for him to keep going with all the stresses from his responsibilities at work and school. It was also really hard for me to parent three children by myself while he finished his last year but we knew we were almost to the finish line and we would say, “The light is at the end of the tunnel.”

     There have been many times in my life I’ve looked for that light at the end of the tunnel. When you think about a tunnel or cave it’s a pretty dark place if you walk through it alone. The farther you walk into the dark it becomes pitch black. The farther you get from the entrance it starts to get colder and colder. If you are alone in a deep cave or tunnel and feel the blackness surrounding you, the first idea you have is to find some source of light to guide you back toward the entrance of the cave or tunnel. It may scare you to feel around in the darkness with your eyes wide open to try finding a pinpoint of light to help guide you back. Once you start to walk in the direction of the tiny guiding light it starts to become brighter and before you know it you are stepping out of the cave into the light and you begin to enjoy the warmth of the sun on your face again.

     I’m not an adventurous person so I usually don’t like crawling around in dark places. Caves feel a little too cold and dark for me but there are people who love caves, climbing up cliffs and swimming in oceans next to sharks; they love the adventure of all things but they understand the dangers involved and are willing to take the risks to learn something they need to learn.

     Boys and girls of all ages, you are amazing and are in this world to learn so many wonderful things. You will walk into some tunnels along the way and feel there is no way out. If you get into a dark place in life and feel like there’s no way out… please call your friends and ask them to bring you a flashlight to help you find the entrance to your life again. The entrance is waiting for you but you have to believe it and walk in the right direction to get out of the tunnel. The light really is at the end of the tunnel. It’s been there for me many times and I know it’s there for you!