Dark Days

Sometimes the days are dark.  Once in a while the days are filled with difficulty.  Things don’t always go according to plan.  Life is full of unknowns.  Especially in a season of faith, in a season where each decision requires God’s hand to move.  There are dark days.  

My dark days usually consist of lots of eating and t.v. watching.  Two forms of escape that I have come to find comfort in.  I have realized that if I allow myself to escape in that way and set up camp in that place two things will happen.  First, I will gain a lot of weight and secondly I will stay there, my days will stay dark.  Over the years I have discovered It is my job to walk out of the darkness by introducing the light.  

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”  Wow.  The darkness can never extinguish the light.  It is a choice we make to turn the light on.  Sure it is nice in the darkness, for a while.  I enjoy a pity party as much as the next girl, but eventually the darkness starts to seep into my spirit and it is not so enjoyable anymore.  That is the moment that everything seems dark, even things that were once enjoyed are not enjoyable anymore.  That is the time it takes a decision to turn on the light.  

There are moments it takes a hand of help from someone to get that light on.  It takes an encouraging word or text.  It takes a phone call from a safe person who will listen to you cry for a few minutes and not try to fix anything, that person will simply listen.  There are moments it takes someone to come along side of us to pray and help lift us from our darkness.  There are also moments however where we have to choose to get up on our own.  We have to choose to pray, to turn on music, to take a shower and get ready to face the day.  

(I suggest this album for your snap out of it music!)

Do I have dark days?  Heck yes I do, I think everyone does.  The important thing is that most of my days are filled with light, most day I choose to do the encouraging and the listening.  My hope is that in the midst of the darkness I will help someone find the light.  My heart is believing for opportunities to find the weak and weary and show them the way to the light.  

Today if you are in the midst of a dark day, know this, the darkness never overcomes the light.  There is always an unshakable, never-changing, un-ending light that is found in Jesus.  If you find yourself bathed in light today, don’t be selfish with it, share your light with those around you.  

Be encouraged today, it is always darkest before the dawn.