Discovering light in the darkness

As I pushed the door open for my evening walk, I was wishing that I had finished doing the dishes earlier. But you can never go back in time, and the night had sped past.

By now in August, the long, lit evenings of the summer are gone. It was late, and I was sure the sky would be dark as dusk turned to night. I would be walking in the dark.

As I stepped onto my porch, though, I could still see light in the sky. It was fading, but it was also extraordinary, the way that the final light of the day often is.

As evening arrives, that last burst of light can be so vibrant. It almost seems as if the sun wants to send a final goodnight kiss as the sunshine fades away, as if the hand of God is tucking us in for the night with the promise of another beautiful day tomorrow.

Whatever it is, that glorious colorful sky set me at peace.

In a troubled world that is so often weighted down with heaviness, it’s natural that we long for the light. And we’re so fortunate to be able to find it—not just in a fading evening sky, but all around us.

I see it in my children’s eyes. I discover it while watching our pet birds hop and fly across their cage. I find it in the beauty of nature all around us. Sometimes in the chaos and the busyness of life, I have to remind myself to take the time to notice it. But it’s there.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it,” we read in John 1:5.

Today, even if there are dark moments, I hope you’re finding the light in the people and places you encounter. And maybe we can hold onto the gentle reminder to see how we can be a light to others, too.

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