On Sunday I taught in church on the last words of Jesus. I shared the space with 6 others as we recounted and brought new revelations and application for the final 7 words from the cross.
As I prepared the text, I realized that the punch line I was driving home was really about healing. Not the physical kind that everyone thinks of when you say healing. This was about our emotional health.
I believe that light was being filtered into the darkness of some souls. And that’s what my purpose is. To facilitate light breaking the weight of darkness and the journey to wholeness.
It's the light that many of us are afraid of. I know that sounds ludicrous, because it's not that most people like darkness... but let's be real. Once you've sat in darkness for a minute, the eyes and senses adjust. You find a level of comfort and the longer you stay in darkness, the more painful any illumination becomes.
You see, light is interesting when brought in darkness. Adding light to a well lit space is of no consequence or significance. However, any flicker of light in pitch darkness, is stark. Unable to be missed. Dare I say blinding for the one who dwells in darkness.
The thing with the first light is that it awakens our desire for more. You know that moment when you start to see, and you squint and stare harder so you can get see better? Yep. A tiny bit of light in darkness is significant. We start seeing greater detail and naturally our brains beg for greater clarity. The beauty is that whether the first light was 50 watts or 300 watts, the initial discomfort of the introduction of light quickly dissipates. The pain that most of us dred, is overwhelming but for a [proverbial] minute.
Now lets make sense with this. The darkness I speak of refers to any hurt, trauma, event or experience that has left you “fractured”. We all have them. Remnants of abuse, rejection, abandonment, divorce, bullying…the list can go on and on. Those events, whether we admit or not, leaves a mark on our souls. That mark is what I refer to as darkness. It hurts when we think about or revisit or are reminded of the fracture. The pain deters us from wanting to talk about, approach, or even admit the impact. For some of us the pain deters us from even admitting to the occurrence.
But to be free. I mean like really free, not just wearing the mask of “I’m okay”, one has to face the pain. I will be the first to tell you--- It really is harder when you first approach the fracture, but I am also here to assure you, that it really does get easier. Maybe not immediately, but the truth is, bringing light dulls the sting. The first time you come face-to-face, could be brutal, but most times the pain is linked to the fear and the memory and once you actually have a show-down with it…in a safe space, the darkness no longer can maintain a hold over you. The pain becomes a bit more manageable.
The light that I refer to is God. When we find God, invite Him in to the darkness… and allow the work to be started, then we have started the journey toward wholeness. While that may sound very fluffy, in actuality what you are doing is finding truth (based on the Word of God) and these truths practically combats your erroneous thought patterns and attitudes, then you are able to begin the journey to overcoming. He is strong enough to handle it, whatever “it” is. There is no judgment either. He is a safe space even for the most horrific or tragic experiences.
Don’t believe me? Give it a try.
Don’t know how to try or where to start? Give me a holla.
grace, peace, and love
r Gia