Light in the Dark

The Grandfather Gospels - Chapter 10

The days were growing longer now, but twilight still gathered gently beneath the trees and along the edges of the fields. Spring had settled comfortably over the countryside. The trees around the farmhouse were full of leaves, and the grass had turned a deep, healthy green.

One evening after supper, Elias Gray Hawk sat on the porch with Tommy and Little Eli. Inside, Bethany worked quietly near the window, cutting pieces for a quilt in the lamplight. The gentle snip of her scissors drifted through the open screen door.

Tommy sat on the steps, working on a small wooden puzzle. At eight, he liked figuring out how things fit together. Little Eli sat nearby, his attention drifting with the evening.

The air was cool and pleasant. Frogs had begun their nightly chorus beyond the pasture. Then a long, low howl drifted across the distant hills.

Little Eli froze. “Did you hear that?”

Tommy looked up. The sound came again.

“Was that a wolf?” Eli asked.

Elias nodded calmly. “It was a coyote. My father taught me to know their voices. They sing to the night.”

The boys listened. A moment later, a deep, hollow hoot echoed from the spruce trees beyond the creek.

Eli jumps. “That's definitely a ghost."

“What was that one?” Tommy asked.

“A great horned owl,” Elias said with a quiet smile. “They are part of our home — creatures God made to move when the light leaves. The coyote and the owl remind us that the night is not empty. They have their place, just as we do.”

Little Eli scooted a little closer to his grandfather. The shadows had grown deeper. The old wheelbarrow near the shed looked different now. Familiar things felt unfamiliar in the fading light.

Elias rested a hand gently on the boy’s shoulder. “Those sounds belong here. Most animals aren’t afraid of the dark. Night is simply when some of them do their work. God made both the day and the night, and both have purpose.”

Little Eli looked toward the darkening woods. “Did you ever get scared of the dark when you were little?”

Elias smiled. “Sometimes. Usually of things that weren’t actually there.”

Tommy laughed softly. “I’ve done that too.”

For a while, they sat listening to the night sounds. The coyote had gone quiet, but the owl called again — patient and sure.

Elias reached for the small, worn Bible beside him. “Your question reminds me of something Jesus once said.”

He opened the Bible and read:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

— John 8:12

The words settled into the evening air.

“What does that mean?” Tommy asked.

Elias pointed toward the yard. “What does light do?”

“It helps you see,” Tommy said.

“It shows you where you’re going,” Little Eli added.

“Exactly,” Elias said. “In darkness, it’s harder to see clearly. Things look different. You move more slowly, so you don’t stumble. Sometimes life feels that way too — confusing, frightening, full of shadows. People don’t always know what is true or which way to go.”

The owl hooted once more. Elias looked toward the sound. “Jesus doesn’t promise there will be no darkness. But He brings light into it. Clarity instead of confusion. Direction when we feel lost. He helps us see what really matters.”

Little Eli looked up at the first stars appearing overhead. “So even when we hear coyotes and the woods get dark… Jesus is still the light?”

“Yes,” Elias said gently. “He walked through the darkest valleys this world has known. He does not always remove every shadow, but He promises we do not walk through them alone. His light gives us enough for the next step.”

Inside, Bethany turned on the porch light. Warm yellow glow spilled across the steps and into the yard. The boys turned toward it instinctively.

The shadows remained, but they no longer felt quite so heavy. The coyote’s howl and the owl’s call were no longer unknown or frightening — they were simply part of the land their grandfather loved and understood.

If this story has brought clarity to your heart today, we invite you to bookmark this page and share this post with someone who might benefit from it. Together, let's continue walking the simple path of Christ through the Grandfather Gospels series.

We’re so glad you’re here.