Moving the clocks back in the fall means racing from work to run outside while there is still daylight. It gets dark at 6:00 p.m., and there are still more than six weeks left until the winter solstice. It will get darker earlier each evening until then.

Tonight, I tried to run three miles on a trail before the sun set. When I started out, there was plenty of light, even though the sun was low in the sky. Orange, yellow, and red leaves carpeted the path. The scene was beautiful, but the fallen leaves made it more difficult to see any roots or rocks that might be underneath. Thank goodness I was very familiar with this trail, because darkness came on quickly. I turned around to head back in, and the trail became harder to follow in the dimming light. I felt like I was in a scary movie where the ground fades a little more with each step. I started to get concerned, because I have fallen on fairly flat ground before, and I did not want to take a spill in the dark.

Evidence of falling on a trail run in the daylight

Eventually, only shades of light and dark could be seen, no color or the leaves on the ground, and I used the dark tree trunks to show me the way. I prayed that God would get me back to the trailhead without injury, and that He would guide my path. At the last hill, which I knew had many roots. I decided to take the flat trail out to the field by the parking lot, instead. Victory! I made it to the car without injuring myself. Even though I felt blessed to have God’s protection, I decided that future trail runs would not be made so close to sunset in the future.