Dark Hallways

I grew up at the Fort Worth and Jax Church Of Christ in Midland, Texas. At the time, I viewed that congregation as the largest congregation I had ever known (I had never been anywhere else). When I think of that facility, it is a small congregational building. There was a hall in that old building that was scary to all of us children. It was dark, and every classroom had a door that entered that hallway. As children, we would dare each other to go down that dark hallway and see if we could make it to the exit door at the end of the hall without turning around. As frightened children, we thought of that hallway as extremely long. The truth of the matter is that the hallway was only about thirty feet long, and I can not think of a single time that anything evil ever jumped out of one of those classrooms and devoured any of us. We were always glad to make it to the end of the hall and open the door. We were always happy to see the light and leave that perilous hallway. As I finish round two and enter round three of my treatments, I am not fearful of the dark hallway. I know I will have to handle things ahead of me, but I don’t have to handle them alone. Julie is with me; my family is behind me, my church is encouraging me, and Christ is inside me. There will come a day when I will make it to the door, and I will be delivered into The Light, but until that day comes, I will keep walking on the journey that God has prepared for me. Just a health note – I am doing well. Fatigue and weight loss are the most noticeable symptoms I have today, along with persistent but diminished back pain. Some of the days seem long, but the weeks seem short. Pray that I will be faithful through the journey. In Him J. Tom Washburn