Light of day

“But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of the light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.”

- 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5

Reflecting on the words of St. Paul, I am reminded of a truth I often forget: I am a child of light. Living in the dark is not a natural state of being, unless I choose to make it so. Not only is this nugget of truth great encouragement, but it is an exhortation to act as a child of light and not give in to darkness and live in its murky depths.

What could be worse for a devout and well-respected man who lived his life fulfilling the laws of God than to be struck down with blindness in a society that perceives physical disability as a curse from God? Those must have been truly dark days for Paul, literally and figuratively.

And yet, periods of darkness can be periods of great clarity and growth, a fantastic opportunity to experience a conversion of perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, values – of heart.

And that is why Paul speaks with such conviction, for he finally saw the truth of God’s love in Jesus Christ. He gained new sight. He died to his old self and was reborn.

Indeed life does present challenges and moments of suffering not of our own making; but to be defeated, give in to bitterness, or to attribute it to a God who is meting out some form of undeserved punishment, that is a choice to live in the dark. Faith, believing in the Father’s love is not, and should not be contingent on receiving perceived blessings from Him.

Even in the dark days of watching my father suffer, or the terrible devastation of a break-up with a man I thought would be my husband, I claimed my birthright as His beloved daughter, and that allowed me to receive His healing love and see the light, despite the miasma of misery that engulfed me. That was, for me, justification by faith. His gift to me, every single day of my life.

So when there are days I just want to sit on the floor and wail in defeat, I know that all I have to do is turn inward and listen for His voice. Then, instead of waiting for the day to overtake me by surprise I step out in faith and walk in the light of day, each baby step of the way.