Reflective Moments December 2020

“I will give you treasures in the darkness.”  Isaiah 45:3

 Many people remark that 2020 has been a “dark time.” This passage from Isaiah causes me to ponder deeply. Have you ever thought about the good things we find in the darkness? Let me name a few.

 The world began in darkness. God said, “Let there be light” and light filled our wonderful world that we might see its treasures. In the darkness of the stable in Bethlehem, Jesus, the Light of the World, came to be our savior. The world turned dark when Jesus died on the cross at 3:00 in the afternoon, according to Scripture. In the darkness of Easter Sunday Morning, he emerged from the grave.

Life begins in darkness. We all lived our first nine months in the darkness of our mother’s womb. Seeds need darkness. They live in the darkness of the soil before they can germinate and bear fruit. We need the darkness of night for refreshing sleep.

Have you ever walked out into night and peered at the beauty of the night sky? If it were not for the dark, we would not be able to see the twinkling of the stars, the moon in its many phases and the planets.

Many years ago, I visited Mammoth Cave. It is very dark inside the cave. Our guide had to use his flashlight to shine on the beauties of the cave for us to be able to see. In my mind’s eye I can still see so many of those wonders – and treasures. A lovely experience.

Those are all treasures we find in outer darkness. What about inner darkness – can we find treasures there? In my experience, yes. No, I didn’t appreciate the darkness while I was in it but later as I reflected I realized that the experience had led me to a lot of growth. A real treasure.

Reflection – Go with Angela to the feet of Jesus:

• Where have you found treasures in the darkness, both outer and inner?
• What did you learn from your experiences?
• Spend some time journaling about your treasures in the dark.