Lead, Kindly Light

One of my (many) favorite hymns is Lead, Kindly Light. As the Christmas season has come into full swing, I've been able to make new connections to its inspiring lyrics. The first verse goes as follows:

Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom;
Lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene - one step enough for me.

I end up singing this to myself often as encouragement whenever my life becomes dark. There are so many times when I feel like I don't understand why I'm going through what I'm going through or where I'm going in the future. This hymn reassures me that
It's okay to not know everything right now. It's okay to not have your whole life figured out.

As long as you have the Light to follow, you're going to be just fine.

But was is that Light?

As we enter into the Christmas season, I am reminded of another group who followed a light:

The wise men followed the new star that led them to the Savior. They didn't have an address for the stable that they plugged into Siri. They had been looking diligently for the sign of their Savior's birth, and having seen it, they set off in faith, not able to see "the distant scene," but simply taking "one step" after another, trusting in that light that was guiding them.

And look at the result of their faithful following:

They had the opportunity to kneel at the feet of their Savior and present Him with gifts.

What would have happened if they had given up halfway through their long journey? What if they got discouraged after they didn't receive perfect illumination right away?

Because they trusted in that which they could not see, they were blessed with the greatest Light of all:

Christ is the Light.

If we follow him, trusting in the plan that God has for us, we will be blessed beyond anything we can imagine for ourselves.

This Christmas season, focus on the Light. Trust in the Light. Follow it, even if you can't see the path on which it will lead you. Climb bravely over the bumps in the road. Brave the winds and rain that you meet on your journey.

Keep your focus on the Light and you will be just fine.

I am so grateful for a Savior who was willing to come to earth in the most humble of circumstances, who was willing to sacrifice his life and more for each of us, who was willing to be our Light.

May we all look to the Light, and allow Him to lead us to our greatest selves.