Faith in the Dark

Do you know how it is when you go from a well lit room to a dark one? For a moment while your eyes adjust you have your hands stretched out in front of you trying to feel your way around so you don’t bump into anything. I experience this every night before bed when I leave our bright bathroom and enter our unlit bedroom.I kind of know where things are, so I try and stay on the same path, but little surprises can always pop-up.

This is how I believe we can sometimes describe faith. There are some dark times in our lives when we can’t feel our way around. We search for the right path and hope not to bump into something that will hurt. But it happens sometimes. For me, I came to Christ at the young age of 6 but I have gotten lost in the dark several times since then. As a teen, I gave up on God because it wasn’t cool to be a Christian. I stopped praying and attending church. I had some rough times then. After an unplanned pregnancy, I began to search for God again, and the light came back on. I cried out to Him for help and He was there.

As an adult, when hard times came, I began to doubt a loving God existed. I questioned why I was having so many hard times. I tried to hide in the dark, but I discovered even if you are surrounded by friends and family, it gets lonely in the dark. I was missing something. Slowly, as I began searching again for what was missing, I realized it was God. Faith gets me through all the tough times. Knowing I have a God I can count on helps me. When no one else listens, He does. When no one else sees my tears, He does. When I can’t get out of the bed in the morning, He gives me a push. He wants the best for me. As I realize all this, the darkness starts to get lighter. I can see what I am suppose to be doing. I can see where to go, who to help, and why I am here.

Faith is not about a well-lit path with everything easily laid out for you. You are not always sure of the way to go, and sometimes there are bumps that hurt. Some bumps are big while others are small. No matter the size or pain of the bump, you keep going. If I let each bump on my path stop me, I would not be where I am today. I have had well-meaning people hurt me. I have probably hurt others. We are all human and it is bound to happen. Tragic things happen in life. We live in an imperfect world where bad things happen. Young children get killed, babies die, loved ones leave us too soon. The list goes on and on. In one year, I faced so many different disappointments that it started to suffocate me. The light started getting darker as I focused on the bad. We have to search for the good. It’s there if only we will look. Miracles may not happen in front of our eyes every day. But there are so many small ones we miss when we don’t look. Trees growing in the desert, getting a job in a tough job market, and having a family to enjoy the good times with. These are only a few of the small miracles that take place everyday.

Faith is more like a dark room at first. You have to enter it, hands surrendered. You have to walk into it not knowing exactly where you are going, but trusting that you will begin to see more as you continue on the path. You keep moving no matter what gets in the way and keep searching for the light. It will get brighter. It begins with asking God to reveal to you who He is—a simple step that takes faith. You can’t see God’s holy face, but He will show you who He is in everything around you.
Just as your eyes get adjusted to the dark and you begin to see what’s around you, faith happens in the same way. You first have to take that leap and walk into the dark room. Once you do, things will start to brighten. The more you focus and the more time you spend examining, the more you will see. It takes time, just like anything else in life. The reward is more than anything you will ever receive here on earth. You will spend eternity living in a perfect world, with no disappointments, no tears, and no death. You will never be in the darkness again.

So, the next time you go from a dark room to a well-lit one, take a moment and pause. Decide if you want to take that leap of faith or stay stuck in the dark.