When I was seven years old, I had a nightmare there was a snake in my bed.
I rushed into the living room where my parents had been watching TV. My dad took a flashlight into my bedroom, pulled back the covers, and shined his light to prove the snake was not there.
It was only a dream.
However, it felt so real in fact that I still remember the details over forty-five years later…and snakes continue to be my greatest fear.
Surrounded by Darkness
But isn’t that what darkness does?
It creates a void that prevents light from coming in. Our fears grow into nightmares preventing us from seeing reality.
Even as an adult, I sometimes fear the dark because I can’t see where I’m going or know what’s coming at me.
I’ve talked about this before, but that’s because it was a defining time in my life, but a number of years ago, our family walked through a very difficult time, which included my husband and me losing both of our fathers just over a year apart. Those losses changed us.
Bathed in Light
One night, with the loss of my father still fresh on my heart, I crawled in bed with my grief wrapped around me and sobbed into my pillow. Darkness surrounded me as I cried out to God with an anguished spirit.
But then a silvery light crept through a slit in our curtains and stretched across my bed. I pulled back the curtains to see the most beautiful moon shining over me and bathing me in light.
In my darkness, God saw my grief and shined his light. I simply needed to look up to see it.
God shined his light. I simply needed to look up to see it. #tellhisstory #faith #hope Click To TweetWhen we walk through the trials of life, darkness can descend and obscure our way, leaving us to stumble down a path pitted with grief, despair, and anguish.
Offering His Light
How many times have you tried to walk that path alone with only your feelings of loss, rejection, and heartache keeping you company? Instead of offering hope, that darkness left permanent scars on your heart.
But there is hope.
No matter what darkness pervades your spirit, God is there, waiting to offer light to help you find your way.
When God created the world, He called light into existence. The earth had been formless and empty. And dark. But God knew we needed light for existence and survival. And He provided. Then God knew we needed more—we needed Light for eternal life.
He gave us Jesus.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 NIV
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “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 NIV
Oh, what glorious promises Jesus offers us!
No one will deny life is tough. Darkness comes in many forms and threatens to snuff out our light. But God offers the promises from His Word to light our way. We simply need to look up to see the Light.
God offers the promises from His Word to light our way. We simply need to look up to see the Light. #tellhisstory #faith #trust Click To TweetWhat about you? When darkness shadows your path, how do you find the light?
The dark of pain surrounds my soul,
colouring the very air,
becoming my defining whole
and it’s far too much to bear,
but bearing is what I must do,
even though I weep,
for there are tasks to carry through
and promises to keep.
I do believe there is a light;
my heart insists it’s so,
and though I travel cancer’s night
with very far to go,
I’ll walk in faith, though I can’t see
the true Love walking next to me.
Andrew, your words wrap around my heart. I’m sorry for the pain you’re enduring, but I love your positive attitude in knowing you’re not walking through it alone.
Andrew, it has been a long time since I have come upon a comment or post of yours. I have been sporadic with my writing too. I hold you up in my prayers. You give me hope when I have so little right now. I wrote today about the hope and the joy I have been lacking. God is my hope and my joy and the light shining in my life. He is that for you as well. I am so grateful to be able to pray for you.
It’s remarkable how God will shine encouragement in the most needed moment. So thankful for the light and hope He provides.
Barbara, I am too. Without His Light, the darkness of the world would quickly overwhelm us.
I heard on a podcast recently (where????) the theory that the first messianic foreshadowing in the Bible is not Genesis 3:15, but Genesis 1 where God says, “Let there be light.”
That’s probably a stretch, but I enjoy the implications.
Michelle, I didn’t hear it in a podcast, but I have read it in other things that God could be foreshadowing. Makes perfect sense to me. The Creator of the world knew we’d need that Light for eternal life.
Our 3YO granddaughter goes into our bedroom in the darkness with a small flashlight to play “shadows”. She has done this now for about a year, 4X a week. It is our night game. Your post just made me realize how the Lord is teaching her not to fear the darkness, His Light will always shine. Or perhaps … He has been teaching me (chicken little) to not fear the hard days, and remember He always will shine His light and dispel the darkness.
Joanne, I love how your granddaughter combats darkness and turns it into joy. It’s difficult not to fear the hard days, but I continue to pray and ask for God’s courage to equip me when I’m faced with those difficult times.
My go-to hack for finding light is gratitude. When I make lists of things I’m grateful for, I make room for the Light. Some days it takes discipline to write out a list of gratitude. But it always helps.
Anita, I just read your post connected to this link up. I love your attitude of gratitude. You’re right about it taking discipline, but I’m finding the more I do it, the easier it becomes.
Lisa, such a beautiful encouragement here! I have often felt “lost” while walking a dark, hard path, but God’s Light always overcomes the darkness, sometimes it’s a physical light He brings to us, sometimes it’s the light of another bringing encouragement and sometimes it’s the light of His voice leading us forward in deeper trust as we move towards the loving reassurance of His gentle voice.
Thank you, Donna. I love how He shines His Light in so many different ways and knows the perfect way to bring us out of the shadows.
Lisa, what a wonderful post. It is dangerous if we set to long in the dark. All the shapes turn into scary monsters and fear sets in. Anita, I am with you. Gratitude is often what brings light to the darkness in my life. All I have to do is look around and see that God has so blessed me and I start thanking him and thinking of him and suddenly light is showing me the shadows are just normal things.
Theresa, you’re so right about the fear setting in. Thankfully, God’s light shines in the darkest places, including those residing within us.
To answer your question Lisa, I go straight to the Light of my life for I can’t do this life without Him.
I’ve learnt this through great losses (my son, my daughter & my late husband) & now living with chronic health issues.
His light penetrates the deepest & darkest times bringing the greatest comfort & peace that passes all understanding.
Bless you,
Jennifer
Jennifer, you’re shining His light to others who are watching how you’re walking through these difficult challenges. Bless you, my friend.
Lisa, I so need to read here that I, too, must remember to “look up.” I write about how I am missing hope and joy these days. I need to look up!
Lisa,
Thank you for the reminder that there is always hope — and the encouragement to look for the light, His light. Love you, friend.
Yes, there is always hope. Isn’t that so wonderful? Love you too!
Oh Lisa … such a timely post for me to read as my husband’s father just passed away earlier this week. I’m sorry for the grief you and your husband experienced so close together. I understand it all too well myself, and am so thankful for those ways in which the Light of the world reveals himself to us in our darkest hours. ❤️
Lois, I’m so very sorry for your loss. Praying for God’s peace and comfort for you and your family as you grieve the loss of your father-in-law. It’s a painful journey, but thankfully God is with us each step of the way.