Revealing The Story

How Our Stories Fit Into THE Story

Category: Inspiration (Page 1 of 7)

2011

April 6, 2020 /

2011 was a tough year. I spent weeks in an ICU, we closed our business, short-sold our house, went months without income, moved our kids to a new school… the list goes on. So many stressors happened simultaneously. Everything we worked for was gone. It didn’t matter how careful or thoughtful we had been. I was embarrassed.

Our people never shamed us. They treated us with dignity even when meeting practical needs. Things would appear.. randomly, anonymously. Food. Gift cards. Someone paid our power bill. We tried to conceal our needs, but somehow they always knew. They taught me that community observes unspoken needs with respectful care, and responds accordingly.

Our nation was in a recession – the first for our generation of young adults. There were many travelers on our road. Each had their own unique griefs. Thank you for not judging mine.

The craziest thing about 2011 is that I mostly remember the good. Every smile, every laugh, every moment of peace was richer because it fought through miles of dirt to reach the sun. Who cares if we walked a lot because we couldn’t afford to do anything else. Those walks taught us how to breathe. And that’s how it goes. Almost systematically, each hard is somehow (miraculously?) overshadowed by good. Not stupid, hollow, fakely positive good. True good. It didn’t happen right away. It was instilled over time through things like space for grief, the healing balm of simple, hope that ‘hard’ wouldn’t last forever, and visibility of beauty-in-the-midst.

Our nation is facing another season of hard. We sense its presence but none of us knows its exact contents. It’s unfortunate that we’ve been polarized for so long. That social distancing can enhance social disparities. And that (at a time when we need each other the most) prevention tactics are so diverse. We were designed for community. We must find ways to bridge isolation. Bridge fear. Bridge differences. We are ALWAYS, ALWAYS stronger together.

You helped me survive 2011. Show me how to help you.

Laura

Slowing Up

August 23, 2017 /

Quick, quick, let’s go.
I need an answer today.
…or the hardest for me.
What’s been going on? **while eyes dart the room**

These orders, demands and questions bring up anxiety like no other.

I feel like a robot, hurried to respond or give an urgent answer for an asphyxiated time-frame, to reply to a question where a large period looms as soon as something uninteresting exits my pie-hole.

I hate being rushed. Quickened.
You too?

I didn’t realize this until recently, when I found myself reacting in a anxious frantic whirlwind of craziness because of what I perceived to be rush.

Most of my life I’ve put myself on the tightrope of busy and go and whir and faster faster faster.

Probably because I looked around and saw quick go hurry being done well and knew not to listen to the quiet tug of slow slow slow because slow my friends was BOR (yawn) ING.

Slow is for people who don’t have social lives.

Slow is for people who aren’t fun.

Slow is for people who have to sit on their couch because no invites or plans or people are pulling them off their precious sofa.

I’m sorry. I ignorantly believed these thoughts in my younger years.

AND HOW WRONG I WAS.

Slow is wisdom.

Slow is sitting in silence and allowing someone to add a period when they have processed.

Slow is holding air in between you and him or her and letting the uncomfortable weight be a space to learn.

Slow is grace.

And assuredness.

Slow is peace and thinking through and listening first and speaking last.

Slow isn’t boring by any means.

The most fun creative inspiring people I know live slow. Live with purpose even in the hustle bustle of humanity.

They aren’t lazy or inactive or dull.

They are in fact, bright and can easily over-extend their valuable time with many note-worthy agendas and meetings and people and things to be at but they choose to slow up.

Slowing up is a wise ramp to living full.

Living purposeful and filled. With honest truth and courageous vulnerability; not fueled by rush and frantic and I don’t wanna miss ouuuuuuuut!

Slowing up is tried and true.

Slowing up is my jam.

Now, when I find myself chasing a string of to do’s on an imaginary tightrope of frenzied hurriedness- whether asked or self-inflicted- I’m asking myself a few questions.

What am I experiencing inside?
Am I feeling rushed and why?
Is this a legitimate timeline or a life-long habit of quick quick quick?
Am I present?
Am I being kind or snapping at everyone in my wake (including my reflection?)
How can I go about this differently? How can I slow up?

When we pause long enough to connect our minds with our bodies and hearts and then listen, do you hear that? The tick tock of time needed for all pieces to travel different paths and merge somewhere at the triad of slow.

That’s where wisdom is birthed.

At the center of slowing up.

 

Bekah

 

 

reach for the ground

August 9, 2017 /

Have you ever taken note of our posture during life’s most intense experiences? Childbirth. Death. Breakthrough. Profound joy. In each, our senses flood and we instinctively drop low, as if reaching for the ground.

Back to our roots.

Then God formed mankind of dirt from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being. – Genesis 2:7

Dirt.  The ground.  Our roots.  Reminders of our humanity.

There is beauty and weakness in humanity.  But we tend to hide the latter as if the cracks don’t exist.

The Hebrew word ‘afar’, in this case translated as ‘dirt’, is also used in Genesis 18:27 as a metaphor for humility.

Humanity and humility.  Fitting.

While our tendency may be to hide the cracks, acknowledging them is key towards finding lasting strength.  For, there is FREEDOM in admitting that we cannot, should not, rely solely on ourselves.  That we were never supposed to handle everything (or everyone) on our own.

Do you see the beauty?  During life’s most intense experiences we instinctively drop to a posture that allows us to remember and receive.

Out of the ground springs forth living water.

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart. – John 7:38

Sustenance from a source deeper and richer than ourselves.

Remember your humanity.

Reach for the ground in humility.

Receive sustenance from the One who knows you better than you know yourself.

As a mom, therapist, and speaker, I tend to focus on equipping people to reach for the sky.  That’s good!  Great even.

But, oh, what riches might be unearthed if we expended even a fraction of our energy equipping people to reach for the ground.

Laura

God’s presence during a fall off Pyramid Peak

June 7, 2017 /

My nephew Ryan is an experienced climber.  At the age of 23 he had climbed nearly every high mountain in California, traversed mountains in Nepal, and moved to Colorado to go to college in Boulder, where a range of 14’ers were at his doorstep.  14’ers are mountains that are over 14,000 feet tall.  One of these is named Pyramid Peak.  Pyramid Peak is a part of “the deadly Maroon Bells” a set of mountains that have claimed many lives because of their unbelievably deceptive, loose and unstable rock. The snowfields are treacherous, poorly consolidated, and the gullies are death traps.  Expert climbers who did not know the proper routes died on these peaks.

But Ryan was up for the challenge.  He saw the climb as an opportunity to grow, test out his winter skills, and perhaps a chance to see the White Elks.  On Saturday March 4th, he made the long drive to Aspen….solo.  He had asked friends to go with him, but none were too excited about the cold, wind, and altitude they would have to endure.  He felt the usual fear that always accompanies a climb like this…but felt his plan of reaching the summit and returning before the weather changed was doable.

The first night went fine, as Ryan dug himself a snow cave and slept for the night after a long day of hiking and climbing.  His alarm woke him up at 3:00am Sunday morning and he figured he could make it to the summit before noon and head back down before the late afternoon storm that was predicted to come in.  However, when he was just about 40 feet from the summit, he stepped on what must have been an ice cap formed by the wind or on loose rock that collapsed under him, and he fell over 2000 feet straight down off the summit ridge on the east side of the mountain.

Meanwhile, back at home in Paradise, California, my sister LaShawn and brother-in-law Dave were waiting for Ryan’s phone call to let them know he made it down the mountain safely.  They had an ongoing plan whenever Ryan did solo climbs, that if they didn’t hear from him by 7:00pm PST, to call the Search and Rescue team.   It was around that time when they started to get concerned.  He hadn’t called them yet and this was highly unusual for him.  They called his roommates and they too were concerned.  Their next call was to Aspen’s Search and Rescue.

It was almost dark in Colorado when Search and Rescue received the call, so they wouldn’t be able to search for him until Monday morning.  LaShawn and Dave decided to fly out to Aspen that next morning to be there whether they found Ryan dead or alive.  My Mom and I stayed home with my younger nephew Logan and took care of things while they were away.  We stayed in regular contact through a group family text, where Dave could give us updates as they gained information.  When the Search and Rescue team told us they found Ryan’s car at the base of the mountain, and then his abandoned snow cave with his belongings left there, we really started to prepare our hearts for the worst.  Meanwhile, we had relatives, everyone on Facebook, friends of friends, and our church family praying mightily for Ryan’s survival.  With the -4 degree weather and 100 mph winds on Pyramid Peak, we grew less and less hopeful that Ryan could survive another night on that mountain even if he was still alive.

Part of me couldn’t believe this was happening.  The previous month, on Super Bowl Sunday (February 5th) I had fallen down a steep ravine in Paradise while hiking with my sister after church.  I fell about 60 feet, hitting several trees on my way down.  I was headed straight for the river below and could hear my sister’s screams above as she watched me tumble down faster and faster.  I finally landed in a clearing and had to climb my way back up, very badly bruised and face bashed in with a deep cut above my lip.  Long story short, I was hauled off to the ER and got 8 stitches to sew together the skin above my lip.  I was very sore and traumatized, but amazingly no broken bones or head trauma other than a mild concussion.  Everyone said how lucky I was.  Luck may have had something to do with it, but I think God had a much bigger plan and purpose for this accident.  Because I could barely move, I needed to stay at my mom’s house so she could help me with things.  She was already being a nurse to my poor father who was dying of a very rare form of cancer.  Two days later, just before midnight, my father passed away to be with the Lord.  God knew the timing of my father’s death and didn’t want Mom to be alone that night.  I was there with her because of my accident.

So during the month of February after planning and preparing for Dad’s memorial service and adjusting to such a great loss of my dear dad, we all were still in the height of grief and couldn’t imagine losing another one of our family members just a few weeks later.

That’s what kept me going to be honest.  Surely God wouldn’t take Ryan from us so soon after losing Dad.  I couldn’t let my mind drift to the thought of Ryan being found dead, or not being found at all, which was exactly what happened with the previous climber who died on Pyramid Peak.  My sister on the other hand, was laid up in a hotel room reading the Psalms and preparing her heart for the worst.  We all knew and believed in the power of prayer from God’s miraculous healing of my sister’s brain tumor back in 2004.  The peace that comes from knowing that so many believers all over the world are earnestly praying for the same thing brings comfort and a peace that God’s will, will surely be done.  Nevertheless, thoughts of Job in the Bible came to mind often, and there is a real surrendering of our own will that has to take place.  God giveth and God taketh away.  And I will yet praise the name of the Lord!  Certain hymns and praise songs would come to mind and provide comfort.  God’s presence was real and tangible even during our darkest hours.

The search for Ryan continued with the Search and Rescue team having not found him yet after day 3.  I was still holding on to hope, but my more “prepare yourself for the worst” older sister LaShawn was resolved in her heart that Ryan was most certainly lost forever.  I couldn’t imagine what life would be like for her if Ryan didn’t return alive.  It would kill her, and I couldn’t bear to see that.  It was about 5:00pm on Tuesday evening that I got a phone call from my brother-in-law while I was driving in my car back over to my sister’s house where we were all camping out.  I answered my cell phone and Dave said “THEY FOUND HIM!! HE’S ALIVE!!”  I could not believe it! I cried for joy and proceeded to thank the Lord Jesus for his AMAZING mercy.

He shouldn’t have survived.  According to the doctors and nurses in the hospital there in Aspen, no one had ever survived a fall off Pyramid Peak, not to mention the more steep and treacherous east side of the mountain.  It was truly a miracle and all our friends and family rejoiced with us and gave glory to God for this amazing gift and second chance for Ryan.  Ryan had good survival skills, no doubt, but the fact that he came out of that fall with only some frostbite and an injured elbow and pelvis, was quite amazing.

God’s presence during these dark days was felt in many ways…. through the love and support of our church family who brought us delicious meals every day while LaShawn and Dave were in Colorado with Ryan… about two weeks total; by the constant prayers and petitions that were posted on Facebook and the phone calls from friends and family that confirmed we were not alone in this… we had a mighty team of prayer warriors pleading for Ryan’s safe rescue; by the comforting visions and dreams of Ryan being found alive shared with us by certain folks; by the gentle reminders of Bible verses and of praise songs that helped us to surrender and put our trust in the only true God; and by the huge financial support from donors to help pay for Ryan’s hospital bills and for LaShawn and Dave’s travel expenses so they could stay in Colorado to be there with Ryan.  God’s provisions were exceedingly more than we could have ever imagined.  He loves us… no doubt.

Trinity

Trinity Bockus is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in Chico, California.

 

RTS note: To hear how Ryan Montoya survived the ordeal, you can find his story on the internet (a simple Google search will deliver multiple links to articles and news reports) and on the CBS daytime television show, “The Doctors” which aired on May 25th.

 

Refresh Button

May 31, 2017 /

We’ve  made it to the end of May! Can we agree? This month rivals December for the title of “most insane month” when it comes to schedule.

Each day is special but sometimes I want to scream: “get me off this crazy train!”

If you’re  like me, even amidst days full of activities and people, I fall into bed with a body that is weary, and a soul that feels dead. And since time is precious, I will make this short:

We need moments of refreshment.

Momentary exhales where we remember that God is God and we are not.

Moments to surrender to His lead, to relax beside still waters (maybe only figuratively) -because it’s there He  refreshes our soul.

Recently I found myself in that familiar tired, worn out place.  So I forced myself to put the laundry down, leave my phone in the kitchen, go to my room, and close my door. (The struggle is REAL, friends).

In the quiet, all alone, my eyes filled with tears and I wrote :

“My soul is so hungry, Lord.”

God reminded me, ” I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry ” John 6:35

“My spirit is dry and I’m so thirsty“

And I remembered the verse..”but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”John 4:14 ”

“I am so tired and weary”

“Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:26

I realized there was a commonality in these verses: when we admit our need, He beckons us to “come to Him” then promises to fill our emptiness.

And I’m  finding that only God satisfies the deepest longings of our soul.  Scrolling Facebook, nor scarfing a bag of chips, nor Netflix binges, nor even small talk with a friend will refill our cups the way that moments with Jesus can.

Think about it..When things get all outta whack on our computer screen, or an influx of input causes the machine to glitch and freeze, what do we do? We look for the refresh button and with a click of a finger all things align and fall back into place.

These days I’m reminded to search for those “refresh button” moments.

When life makes me frantic or I notice I’m operating on empty-  it’s time to return to my Maker, the one whose burden is easy and light.

Let him refresh your soul today with the words from this song based on Isaiah 55.

” All who are weary,

all who are weak

come to the fountain

dip your heart in the Stream of life.

The pain and the sorrow

will wash away

In the waves of his Mercy

Where deep calls out to Deep

come Lord Jesus, come. ”

 

–Alyssa

waves

May 17, 2017 /

I’m fine.

Not really.

Let’s give each other permission to tuck away our practiced smiles and admit when it’s been a tough day.

For, no matter how good we’ve become at riding life’s waves, they sometimes crest over our heads.

This is normal. We don’t have to be ‘happy’ all the time; especially when we’re talking to God.

Father, I’m worn-out. Trust is hard. I keep thinking I know what’s best.

If one of your kids asked you for bread would you give them a stone? If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more capable am I? – Matthew 7:9

Yes, but what if letting go means watching someone get crushed?

Make me your dwelling and no disaster will come to you. My angels will lift you up. You will trample the great lion and the serpent. – Psalm 91:9-13

Bad things happen all the time. And, I can sense the lions prowling. Don’t ask me to believe that they’ll simply disappear.

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.-Isaiah 43:1-2

I can smell the smoke.

I will cover you. Under my wings you will find refuge; my faithfulness is your shield. – Psalm 91:4

You know the fragile aspects of this situation. Fear lurks around each shadowed corner.

My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is perfected in your weakness. – 2 Cor. 12:9

Waves will come and go.

Let’s not make their impact worse by judging ourselves for swallowing water.

Lean in to the One who can strengthen your legs when they grow weary from treading. Lean in to the One whose capacity for love exceeds your own. Lean in to the One who can provide peace in the midst of chaos.

Keep riding, dear ones. Keep riding.

 

Laura

The Mirror

April 26, 2017 /

This last weekend I was able to pull away from the busy whirlwind of life and take some time to be with God.

I sat beside a beautiful babbling brook in the fresh morning air and prayed about the state of my heart – asking Jesus to show, to reveal my heart. To look in a mirror and see what He really sees when He looks at me.

Truth be told, I was afraid of the mirror.  Some mornings I don’t like the physical mirror. So I definitely didn’t want to look into a spiritual one.

I was afraid of the reflection that I assumed would be there.

You see, I feel like I’m sort of a broken-glued-back-together person. And it had been awhile since I had looked into the mirror. It had been awhile since I had looked into His eyes and asked what He saw in me.

Life has a way of pushing us, prodding us, and sometimes breaking us.  Sometimes I look at where I am in life and feel confused. This isn’t exactly how I had pictured it going. I’m guessing you might relate, friend. Whether it’s big things or small things, we all can start to feel like we’re just glued back together, and although functional, not very pretty. Events and people in our lives can have a way of changing us…and for me, I feel so different that I guess I assumed my reflection must be pretty scarred.

But, fears aside, I sat on that bench by a serene creek in the middle of the woods, let down my guard, and asked my God to show me.

I was praying, and all of a sudden was struck at how beautiful my surroundings were.

It was just stunning. The sunlight refracted across the plants and weeds, pulling forth a vivid green. The moss-covered boulders jutted out from the ground, telling the water which way to flow. The low hanging trees seemed to admire their reflection in the pools around the edges. The air was fresh and full of earthy goodness. The creek gurgled soothingly as it passed me by.

The birds sang while my God nudged me to truly see.

And that’s when He showed me the mirror.

This scene I sat in was so life-giving, so beautiful, and yet so not perfect. It was actually full of disorder. Broken pieces of rocks everywhere in no particular order. Splashing water flowed over broken places. Moss, a fungus growing, unruly vines and weeds sprouted all over. A tree stump spoke of life cut down. Even mud and bugs.

And yet Beauty.

Not manufactured beauty, but true beauty. Unique beauty. Restored beauty.

Friend, it is just so with you and with me. He takes our broken places and restores them into beautiful places that are life-giving to those around us.

This place, was unique. Although I could find thousands of other beautiful places in nature, not one of them would be identical to this.  No one else can look like you. Your beauty, your true beauty, your restored beauty is unique. Your restored self is what people need because it is life-giving.

Restoration in one of my favorite characteristics of God. Until I sat beside that creek this weekend, I had forgotten that our heart reflections, if we are submitted to Him, will simply reveal His endless faithfulness to restore beauty.

 

-Kallie

Welcome to my mess

April 19, 2017 /

“Trails and trails of ants.”

Not exactly what I wanted to hear as I hurriedly walked into the house bearing arms full of groceries. Expecting to see the clean counters I had scrubbed last night, my eyes instead zeroed in on the hundreds of cans and jars,  boxes and bags of food that covered every counter top while my husband quickly pulled out more.

An army of ants had invaded our kitchen.

I hate ants.

They make my blood boil.

And that specific morning, after all the rain had subsided, the ant brigade thought it’d be a perfect time to take refuge in our food cabinets where the feasting possibilities were endless! (How long HAD it been since I had cleaned out the stickyness and crumbs in those shelves?)

As I  joined my husband in the romance of wiping off objects and throwing bag upon bag away- I had this daunting realization.

We’d be hosting a major playdate any minute.

And one of the little girls we invited over was fresh off the plane from Autstralia and had never been over to our house before. This was not my idea of a welcome party.

Like clockwork,  the doorbell rang. I looked around my kitchen. It looked like an absolute disaster zone. My stomach churned,


I had the passing thought “Maybe they’ll just drop the kids off at the door and I can finish cleaning this up.”

Her parents and I chatted cordially at the door. I stood where I could strategically block the view of my disastrous kitchen. .. But then my fear became a reality- these people weren’t leaving any time soon.

And I sensed God whisper “Invite them in- to join you on the couch;” Like an obedient child,  I promptly IGNORED it.

This happened three times until I knew I needed to oblige. They weren’t picking up on my non-verbals that said “time to go home.”  And so I called them over to the couch with the spectacular kitchen view.

I tried to offer an explanation and make a joke about the 2017 Ant  Storm- the- Kitchen Operation, but continued to feel embarrassed. As we chatted,  my mind began to spiral...what were they thinking? What judgments would be made about us? What did this MESS say about me, as a homemaker, mom….human being??? (as if a dirty kitchen tells all!)

Our mess. Human nature is to HIDE it.

Somehow we’ve come to believe the myth that smiley posed Facebook pictures are a snapshot of REALITY, and that someone who doesn’t appear to have it all together won’t have any friends.

Somewhere along the line we’ve also believed that we’ve gotta clean ourselves up before pursuing friendships, going to church, exploring “religion” or making steps toward God.

We make comparisons and excuses. “I’m not pure enough like THAT person. When I have more time, after I’ve gone to counseling, once I’m married and have kids,  THEN I’ll look into this God thing.”

We seem to think we’re the only people on the planet that are messed up, and that a holy God couldn’t accept one as broken as us.

But, here’s my FAVORITE truth from the Easter story this year…..

Not AFTER we were all cleaned up, or worthy, but WHILE we were funk messy.

Jesus chose the gnarly- the tax collector who knew he was unpopular, the smelly fisherman who said it like it was, the outlandish Peter who couldn’t quite control his emotions or tongue, even Judas, the friend who would undoubtedly betray him. Jesus comes for the broken. Those who open their pantries and acknowledge their mess.

He’s all about GRACE. “If you confess your sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive your sins and cleanse you.” I John 1:9 .

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other you will be healed.” James 3:1

Are we willing to be vulnerable? 

God wants us to be real with Him. and with each other. Because most of the time, when we are, there’s miraculously HEALING there.

You know that fateful ANT invasion day ?

Here’s the thing: everything was actually o.k. when I welcomed people into my mess!

Strangely, these new friends seemed to relax and sit back in the refreshing humanness and  imperfection of it all. And somehow I hope that with a little glimpse of  my REAL they’ll feel more welcome to not have to tidy up as much when we stop by next time.

Vulnerability. It’s a big word I learned from those dang ants.

Maybe we need to leave things “as is” in our home (or hearts) and welcome people in anyway…

Or maybe, today, it’s time to open up the cabinets and empty the drawers of our hearts before God. Let Him see our mess…(He’ll love  us the SAME!) And we’ll experience freedom and BUCKETS AND BUCKETS of GRACE not trying to hide anymore.

So say it with me: “welcome to my mess!”

–Alyssa

 

 

100th POST GIVEAWAY!!!

March 29, 2017 /

TODAY is a day of CELEBRATION for us at Revealing the Story!

We’ve reached 100 posts – stories of God being revealed in the real and ordinary days of our lives.

A big shout-out to all of our guest authors who have courageously shared their stories. We have all been blessed.

And to celebrate 100 posts, we are doing a GIVEAWAY!

 

We’re giving away a fantastic  best-selling new book, by one of our GUEST AUTHORS, “Choosing Real: An Invitation to Celebrate when Life doesn’t go as planned” by Bekah Jane Pogue.  We promise, you’ll LOVE this book.  (to get a taste- check out Bekah’s post  http://www.revealingthestory.com/failure-i-applaud-you/)

To be entered:

  1. Add a comment to this post
  2. Subscribe to the blog (if you already have- let us know)

One entry for each of these! Drawing will be in one week 4/5.

 

 

living in the dusk

March 8, 2017 /

There are moments when a seemingly obscure passage in scripture just leaps from the page and spears your heart.

This happened as I worked through John chapter 11. It is the story of Lazarus. A beloved friend of Jesus who died and was resurrected to life in order to bring glory to God.

If you know scripture, then I would imagine you have studied this passage and all that it conveys and foreshadows…with Jesus’ death and resurrection.

This time, verses 9 and 10 leaped out at me. They stared boldly into my face and issued a challenge.

Let me share:

“Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

These twelve hours can symbolize an entire life. Devoted to God and walking in his will, filled with light and not darkness. When we seek him in all we do and in all we purpose to do, we are able to see clearly where he would have us go.

Now, that doesn’t mean life is easy. Climbing a challenging hill, even in the middle of the day, is still challenging. However, climbing a challenging hill in the darkness of night, in the black that would have you stumble and grope for each step, is SO much harder.

When we allow God to guide us, lead us, and direct our every step, we walk in light. Pure, illuminating, stumble-free light.

So, what about dusk? Or dawn? Or the twilight of evening..where light fades and darkness arises, or darkness fades and the sun emerges? How many of us are living in these half-lit areas?

We like the darkness of our sin. We like to have control over our lives and choose our own steps. We dabble in the dark. Yet, we still claim the light. It’s right there. It’s low…and dim…and not quite filling the sky…but it is there.

We embrace the selfish sinfulness of our hearts, but we attend church. We covet what others have, but we tithe generously. We have materialistic hearts, but we serve in ministry. We skirt the edges of the sun while dipping our toes in darkness. It is hard to let go.

There is beauty in darkness. The stars in the sky. The lights of the universe on display. The moon in all its phases. There is beauty in darkness. And trickery. Our eyes adjust to the lack of light and we think we can see. We determine that the darkness isn’t so bad and that we can manage. This is how we justify our sin. We adjust to its normalcy and move forward. Sure we stumble, but if we don’t get hurt, then it is not that bad…right??

We stumble occasionally and blame the darkness. We have sure footing other times and credit the light. We allow ourselves the stagnancy of living in the dusk. Always balancing a bit of the dark with the light.

God wishes for us so much more! For those who have completely abandoned the light it is sometimes the painful fall over a cliff, and for others it is just enough to send a beautifully brilliant sunset to lure you back toward light.

If you allow him…he can draw you through the darkness and bring you to the dawn of a new life, where only light, and sun, and warmth prevail. Where the road is not always sure-footed…but at least you can see.

My prayer today is for God to reveal the dusk in my heart. The dusk in my life. And bring me back into the brilliancy of day.

– Carrie

Carrie McChesney is a jill-of-all-trades who speaks, writes, photographs, and studies scripture all while raising two wild little men and remodeling their mountain home.

 

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