From Dark Night to New Light

It comes to any man and woman the same,

Prizes of worry, anger, pity, and anxious treason,

So it is to trouble and darkness that that one came,

Before that one could appreciate the prize’s reason.

Reason changes the outlook in a flash,

Convincing of the folly of pre-judging the black,

Suddenly the mind is able to dash,

Toward fusion of purpose without a single lack.

Darkness is relevant in the passage to light,

As it signifies the discernment of poise,

And we ask how else are we to endure the night?

But to patiently listen so as to quieten evil’s inner noise.

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Rising Up Beyond Fear

There is a very real sense that we cannot experience peace having not, first, ventured into our darkness. This is not darkness itself, but our darkness—those experiences where forlorn are, or were, we. These are circumstances of darkness.

How else are we to obtain a heart of intrinsic compassion?

How else is God to convert us from ignorance to curiosity?

How else are these things to occur unless we become broken in some way?

Rising up above our fear is the necessity of victory, especially where we have no choice because we are being swallowed by it. We must keep fighting.

We cannot see the purpose in the present pain, or even if we can it doesn’t help, but faith will lead us home. Faith will contend with fear. It is the only answer.

And faith is patience, courage, a tenacious spirit. We don’t think we have these until we find we do. Only in the trial do we find them. Only in the depths of depression do we find the resources to go on. It feels like we are hardly surviving at all. But the truth is we are. Survival has become our prime objective. It may feel like we have only a shell of a life. That is enough to endure the darkness time.

And as we look back, having traversed through the chasm of the former life’s annihilation, as we come to a new vision for life, we somehow appreciate the dark night we have endured. We know we are stronger. We know we are wiser. We know we are more compassionate. God has gifted us these things.

***

Darkness is the pre-requisite to light. Many a dark night of the soul precedes a richer love of God. Adversity makes us better, more reachable people. Don’t despise the darkness time. God is making something good of it. The new light is coming.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.