Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
I can sit and watch light for hours. On a cold winter’s night, nothing calms me more than sitting in a darkened room, watching the flames of fire in a fire place. I find peace sitting in front of a campfire, as the night closes around me. I am fascinated watching the stars in the night sky, trying to determine the constellations. What a bonus when that night includes a meteor shower, as streaks of light unexpectedly blaze across the zenith. These spots of light in the darkness bring me hope, comfort, and peace. They fill my heart with the wonder of the Creator that He should be mindful of me. Not only that, but they remind me that His love for me is steadfast and endures forever.
These times of quiet stillness open my soul to the unexpected, but also allow me to see what has been hiding in plain sight. That is Advent for me. When I slow myself down enough to let my thoughts burst through the clamor and the metaphorical darkness of daily living, I find God waiting to open my eyes to the light so that I can see and hear Him.
I think of the promise of Isaiah to a people who were held in captivity given in such a way that every night when the stars or moon or the dawn came, they were reminded that God had promised them something more. Then, when the time was right, the faithful God delivered His people out of captivity and brought them once again to His light.
That promise is still ours today. During Advent, when we are pressed down by the worries of living, trying to make ends meet, concerned about the people in our family and circles, God still allows us to see the glimmer and promise of the light. When we are still enough to listen, we hear God’s promise, but more than that, as we reflect; we see that God has indeed been faithful in the past and God will be faithful in the future.
The light doesn’t take away the very real worries and concerns of living, but it does reveal them so that we no longer need to fear them. When God’s light shines in, whatever it is that we are facing, becomes more manageable and hope springs forth as we begin to see through God’s perspective instead of with our limited vision.
This Advent, may you walk out of your darkness, and I pray that God shines his light on you so that you may see a new dawn and the promise that God has for you.