When Darkness Falls
An absence of light - that's the definition of darkness. When
the power suddenly goes off in the middle of a thunder storm,
the first thing you grope for is the nearest flashlight. Trouble
is, groping around in the black fog is not easy. Trying hard to
focus on your pursuit of that light source, you stumble along,
not entirely sure where the doorway is and what lies in between.
You soon realize that things somehow do not appear to be in the
same place as they were in the light.
One flicker; that's all it takes! One little match; one candle
dispels all the confusion; the stumbling and bumping into
things. Darkness holds us as a grip around our heads. It causes
us to fear, think of the worst; and confuses our sense of
direction. With our feet treading very slowly, hands
outstretched and head bent, we exhibit an expression of defeat,
helplessness and solitude.
This is the way we may feel - if only for one moment while
reaching for the nearest flashlight or candle. With this picture
in mind, we can only begin to faintly imagine the prison so many
precious souls find themselves in. They're behind the bars of
depression and hopelessness. They cannot see; their thoughts are
distorted by their darkness and their hands reach out - groping
- but neither finding nor able to embrace what they so
desperately need. They're withdrawn by fear.
But the Bible says that "When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit
in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me (Mi.7:8). Be
encouraged, then. Be strong and refuse to listen to the dark
thoughts. You know, sad and bad thoughts actually change our
chemical balance. How we process our thoughts has a lot to do
with changing our personalities from happy-go-lucky to
depressed. No need to go into the medical and biochemical jargon
about it here. There are tomes of information available in the
medical journals to corroborate that claim.
In simple, layman's terminology, we can take a hold of the
thoughts that keep pulling us back into the unfortunate
happenings of the past or the negative reports of ill health and
even death. You can be empowered to be in charge of your own
happiness. It is not hard, but it takes consistency, faith and
perseverance. Once you know you can, you'll want to have it, and
before you know it, you will have your wish!
Just remember; darkness is only the absence of light. All you
need is one tiny spark. The light of the body is the eye; when
the eye is focused properly, the whole body is in the light
(Mat.6:22). You have the power to turn on the light. According
to Psalm 18:28, the Lord God will enlighten your darkness. The
more you reach out to Him, the more you shall be bathed in
light!