Darkness is a funny thing. It creeps in slowly and before you know it, you’re covered in it, consumed by it, stumbling around, grasping for support.
Inviting the Shade
We have these mammoth-sized trees on our property, trees that drew me to the house when we originally looked at buying it. They are magical, luring, and mystical with their wispy tendrils and inviting shade. To say we let our trees go would be an understatement. The limbs had fought hard and long to reach our home and at last, they had won, victory was theirs and quite honestly I didn’t mind the defeat, it was welcomed, invited, delighted in.
Dancing Wanderers
Unfortunately, we don’t live on a farm with neighbor’s miles away. We live in suburbia where our friends next door and behind us get to have an opinion about these dancing wanderers. Our neighbors were not so thrilled with the arms reaching into their privacy. So, against my desires, we hired a crew to cut back the overgrowth.
The Untangling
As I watched the team untangle the appendages of our tree friends I began to notice light pouring into our home. Unbeknownst to me, the shadows of our trees were slowly stealing the beautiful, life-giving light that once poured forth. Slowly, slowly, slowly, darkness crept in. So slow that I welcomed it, enjoyed it, and forgot what love I had for the light.
Drifting into Shadows
I lost awareness that my beloved trees were blocking out the light in my house. I see how I can also lose awareness of God and drift into the shadows of living from my own desires and perspective, rather than from God’s call to love others. I allow darkness to creep in…negative thoughts, disrespect towards my husband, irritated tones threw at my kids, fear, anger, desperate desire for control and an eager hunt for comfort. These all mask themselves and sneak in if I’m not pursuing the Light. The longer I let them linger unchecked the more the shadows settle into my life. It’s only when I intentionally take a chainsaw to the entangled limbs bringing in the shadows that I can see what’s really at play. It’s only when I cut back the foliage of distraction and drifting away from God’s best blocking the Light that I can experience the warm embrace and welcome the beauty and life that spills in.
Pursuing the Light
Pursuing the Light of Christ through his Word, talking with him in prayer, and seeking to live out his ways of love for him and others is what I want. Having the Light shine so brightly that I am not comfortable when shadows creep in. If they do, I can go to my Father for forgiveness and get back on the path of transformation in the bright light of His truth and love.
