Light and Dark

My family and I are experiencing a time that a lot of families go through.  It is college tour time—an exciting time and a time that, at least for me, is a little sad.  My youngest child is looking to leave our home and go to college, and we are so happy for her to be experiencing this next stage of life.  However, this means my husband and I will share our next phase of life: empty nesters.

My daughter and I went to look at a college. The route to get there is not direct, and it consists of some highways and some two-lane roads.  On our way, these two-lane roads were charming.  Open fields, huge cotton fields, and quaint towns to drive through dotted our trip.  It was mid-morning, the sun was shining, little to no traffic, music playing, and she, of course, was sleeping. 

When we started our journey home, the sun was setting.  The sky was so beautiful. Pink and orange streaks shot across the sky as the big ball of fire went down over the horizon.  We talked about the school, her thoughts, my thoughts, pros, and cons.  As we continued our journey home, it became dark.  We traveled the same roads that we took to get to the school.  Only now, as we were driving on the charming, quaint two-lane road, it became, as my daughter said, “spooky.”  The charm of the towns and open fields was shrouded in darkness, and we started to notice quite a few cemeteries that we had not seen in the light.  The twisting roads became dangerous as big trucks came at us with their lights shining and, at times, nearly blinding me for a moment.

As I was driving, I thought about experiences in the light and dark. We were traveling the same road, just under two different circumstances.  I  recall how comforting light is and how distressing darkness can be.  I was tense as I drove home, not like in the morning when I was relaxed and just enjoying the drive.   At night I could not wait to get back to the highway and kept looking to see how many more miles until I reached the safety of my home.

I thought about how God is the light, and in him, there is no darkness (I John 1:5).  In God, there is comfort, and I can relax because I know I can trust Him. Just like my daughter trusted me and was able to go to sleep.  Why don’t I completely trust God all the time?  I know He is a good Father, trustworthy, faithful, loving, and omnipresent, to name a few.   I don’t always enjoy and bask in the light on my various journeys.  I guess it is a control issue, and I want to be in control and not let Him. That night driving, I was struck by just how much I do not take the time to enjoy the light of God thoroughly. Many days I take it for granted.

I also realized how frightening the darkness is.  You might ask, “why was that road so spooky”?  I thought about that as I drove.  The road was twisting and turning, but it was that way earlier too.  But at night, it was so very dark.  The open fields now had an eerie feel to them.  There was just an ominous feel that we could not escape while on that road.  My life is like this at times.  Some days seem darker than others.  I may be doing the same tasks each day, but some days are bright, and some are dark.  The difference is that I incorporate God fully into my life on some days, and on other days I don’t.  I am struck by how I try to muster up a better attitude or white knuckle those dark days instead of turning to the source of light.  I don’t have to face these days alone; God is with me, ready and willing to shine His light on me and take away all uncertainty and anxiety.  David understood this when he wrote Psalm 23 specifically verse 4.  “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Praise God for His faithfulness!

Light and dark are always in opposition to one another.  Jesus told us to let our light shine and not hide it (Matthew 5:15-16).  Darkness can never extinguish the light. (John 1:5) When I remember to shine the light of Jesus into any situation I am facing, the dark will flee.  When the darkness is gone, I can relax and be at peace because it doesn’t seem scary anymore. 

When my children were little, they feared the dark and wanted night lights.  As they matured, they no longer needed the comfort of light and wanted to sleep in complete darkness.  They were secure that nothing terrible was going to happen to them.  If they happened to wake up, mom and dad were just down the hall and were available to them if needed.  I need to look at my life, both spiritually and physically, in this way.  I don’t need to fear the dark because God is always with me.  He is not some remote god that I must dial-up when required.  He is a personal, intimate God who lives within me through His Spirit.  I don’t ever have to fear the dark because the most significant light source is always in me and available.

Situations or places in the bright light of day are not spooky but the exact times or places at night frighten us. My walk with God is also like this.  When I pray and press into the light of Jesus, I do not have anxiety.  However, when I attempt to walk through my life on my own, the darkness can, at times, take over.  Fear and apprehension can be overwhelming.  When I stop to shine the light of Jesus on my situation, the frightening becomes peaceful.  Just like the night light, my children would use.  They played for hours in their room during the day.  But at night, that same room would become spooky and scary.  They needed light to calm their fears. Light from God will calm me also.

Sometimes we walk or travel the same path, as I did that night.  I need to remember that it is the same path, and just because it is dark right now does not mean I need to be frightened.  The same God with me in the light is the God who is with me in the dark.  My daughter found a bright spot on that “spooky” drive; you could see many more stars.  The bright lights of the city did not obscure the brilliant light of the stars.  I learned that night to always look for the light in a situation. Now when I walk into a dark room and turn on the light to see, I want to remember to “turn on the light” in my life when I face a dark time or situation.  I want to take the time to stop what I am doing, grab my Bible and turn to God in prayer for Him to shine light into my situation.  For God is always shining, sometimes the condition of my heart keeps me from seeing Him, but He is always there.