4 Lessons from Dark Days

The most shocking thing no one told me before moving to Germany is that it’s dark in winter and the sun is “up” until 10-11 PM during the summer. The winter now drawing to a close is the darkest in recorded history. Maybe simply because I had a new baby, or because my husband was deployed, or because I’m away from family, this winter was also challenging emotionally and spiritually. This week, the sunshine has returned, and I have insisted on soaking it up – taking the kids for a walk up the hill and back down. Not only does the sunshine make me feel better, the walking does, too AND I’m more capable of doing this steep walk than I have been in a long time.

Numerous scriptures contain light vs. darkness (Bible Gateway found 55 passages).

1. Darkness is followed by light. Not just in the evening/morning or winter/spring, but in getting through the storms of life as well. All trials and sufferings come to an end.

2. The sun (or Son) is always shining, even when one cannot see or feel the presence of Light.

3. Even in the darkest of times, some light can be found. I enjoyed the average of only 96 hours of sunshine this winter.

4. Perspective matters. The easy response is to look at the cloudy gloom and stay under the covers. The more challenging action is to face the day and be a light to those around you. I have a built-in defense against staying in bed all day: children. Once Dietrich is up, he is up until bedtime. He requires food and a certain amount of entertainment/activity during the day. He also changes the way I look at things. One of the first snows we had (in Colorado) after he developed some verbal skills, he called the snowflakes “bubbles” and was thrilled watching them fall and clump together from our window. Even though he knows words like “snowflake” now, he still finds a calm joy in watching the snow from the window as it falls. My favorite part of snow is the way everything is covered in white, making it appear clean and pure (another analogy for God’s grace and the Blood of Jesus covering our sins and making us holy).

Even though this week of sunshine is forecasted to end with more rain and snow, I know the Son still shines. My job is to keep that Light going, even in the darkest times.