Does it feel too dark today? No I don’t mean the sun setting early. I mean does it just seem dark? Like life is a little more dull this year?
A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a friend of mine about all the people we know who have lost their lives this past year. He said he was talking to parents about it and they said just wait it only gets harder. As we age death stops being something that is just people you know of or heard of but people you have a deep long lasting relationship with. Death and Darkness can capture your friends, your spouse, and unthinkably even your kids. This is the first year for me in a long time that my heart is heavy for those who have lost loved ones. I don’t know what makes this year different, beyond longer and deeper relationships with people who were lost, but I know I feel the weight of it. That darkness seems to have crept in everywhere.
Last week I contracted Co-vid. Thankfully it was a fairly mild case. Yes I was in bed for about 3 days with fever and coughing and had to be away from my family with a mask on in my house, but I was OK. In the midst of the isolation of it all my family and others were helpful in making me comfortable and thankful came out of this with very little issues. I did miss out on something I love to do this time of year. I love doing all the decorating for Christmas. For those who don’t know I love to decorate for Christmas. My wife hates to decorate. She likes the decorations put up, but doesn’t like doing the work of putting it all up. Last weekend when I was in bed hurting she set up the whole house. We went from a place of darkness to light.
This year our tree was a little bit different because my wife was doing the tree. This year she added two more strands of lights. I will say this because it has been a bit of an issue in our lives for a decade. She wants more light and I think we have enough on the tree and should have more for outside. She was right! The tree inside this year needed way more lights. I was struck as I sat by the tree how much I needed that light. We needed an extra strand this year.
So how about you? Are you sitting in too much darkness? Are you sitting in a place where you don’t have enough light in your life? We are in the season of Advent a time to remember we have a God who has come into our darkest places and brought us to his dominion of light of His Son. In these days of despair find places you can see light. (no not on the tree) Find places in God’s word, find places in God’s house, find places with God’s people to be reminded of the light in places that seem too dark.
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks[d] to the Father, who has qualified you[e] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[f] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Colossians 1:9-20 ESV
When I was a kid I remember all sorts of catalogs of toys especially this time of year. We would often get the big toys r us book around Christmas and circle all the things we wanted to get. We were so excited when it came. We probably circled 200 items in the whole catalog. It probably would have been easier if we had just crossed off the things we didn’t want.
youthguysteve 