Over the past few weeks, I have twice been startled awake by the repeated cries, "Dad! Daaaaaaad! Daaaaaaad!" On both occassions, I rushed into my five-year-old's room to find him cocooned in his top bed sheet, a chrysalis of tears and whimpers.
"What's wrong buddy?"
"I'm scared."
"What are you scared of?"
"The dark."
My first thought, "Me too." I not ashamed to admit, I'm scared of the dark. I'm scared of the darkness of cancer and terminal illness. I'm scared of the darkness of genocide and repressive violence. I'm scared of the darkness of global sex-trafficking. I'm scared of the darkness of starvation and poverty. I'm scared of the darkness of foreclosure, bankrupcy and economic ruin. Mostly, I'm scared of the darkness in my own heart.
The day after my son's first cry in the dark we bought him a spaceship night light. After the second, we agreed to let him keep his door open through the night.
Of late I've been crying out in the night, "Dad! Daaaaaaad! Daaaaaaad!" The darkness has closed in, but I'm once again discovering those well-worn words, "Light of the world you stepped down into darkness opened my eyes let me see beauty that makes this heart adore You hope of a life spent with You."
1 comment:
Hey Allen
I love the message in "Night Lights". Yes, Jesus is the Light in the darkness of our chaos of life, that's for sure.
I myself am going through the "night light" syndrome. We recently moved into a new house in Kansas. Even though the house is really nice and comfortable my son Patrick has yet to feel at ease here in his new bedroom and he gets scared at every noise this strange house makes. He sort of feels lost and hasn't quite settled in. I can relate with how he feels. When I first got to Kansas it was hard getting use to my surroundings and finding people I could relate to on a spiritual level. Now I've grown accustom to the town and don't get as lost as before and God has sent me some good friends that I can bond with spiritually. He has given me far more than I expected and has been a "light in the darkness" all I have to do is ask and receive.
Take Care Allen,
Marti Askin
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