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Fighting the Darkness
When its dark in the morning, you at least know that light is coming soon. Now however, when the sun goes down in the evening there is the sinking knowledge that all that lies before us is hours and hours of dark night. It is enough to get you down.
Add to that the forces of darkness that are swirling in my midst. So many of the people I love and care for are struggling with sickness and sadness. My heart aches for them. Just when I think we can’t hold any more, another diagnosis comes in or another crisis hits. The waves of darkness just keep rolling in. At some point I got tired of feeling defeated by the darkness and decided to take action. I decided to fight back with these.
I refuse to call them Christmas lights as I’m Episcopalian and we definitely don’t start decorating for Christmas this early. But now I understand why people do.
For when the darkness threatens, sometimes what you have to do is fight back with shafts of light.
For night does not have the last the word here. We must remember that though darkness grows for a time, a day will come when the light will return overtake it.
So today we wreathed our home in what I’m affectionately calling solstice lights. I’m wrapping them around the room where we eat and work and pray. Right there with the backpacks and penguin mug. Because I want to remember the truth that darkness grows but never wins. That even in dark times, I remain a child of the light. If you too are struggling with the darkness, I pray you will find some light of your own to cling to and wield through the long nights.
For more readings on light in the darkness and finding hope in difficult times, I offer you my advent devotional. May it bring you comfort in the upcoming season.]]>
This is beautiful. I love the lights. You are so right. In my previous life, I knew and honored the Episcopal traditions. I grew up being adamant about no Christmas festivities or decorations or music until after Thanksgiving. And yet….. this year I find myself a little excited about the radio station breaking all the rules. I heard of someone planning on decorating this weekend, and I thought, Oh that sounds fun. I crave the light too. And you are so right about the long nights. Well put. Much love. Thank you.
I am totally going up in the attic this weekend. I don’t decorate before Thanksgiving, but just the other night I was holding Carlos in the dark and remembering how much I love looking out his window at the lights in our front yard at Christmas. A few years ago, I abandoned my oh so sophisticated white lights and bought tacky colorful ones for the shrubbery. I LOVE THEM!
I love this and I’m getting out our lights tonight! Thank you for the winsome encouragement in the midst of a dark week. Maybe I won’t be ready for bed at 7:30 tonight!
I love that we’re starting a light rebellion. I especially love the tacky colorful rebellion. BME might just inspire me to break out and buy rainbow lights 🙂