Darkness Reflection

In the weeks surrounding the winter solstice, I can get a wee bit grumbly at the short days. I do not like trying to find my way to the car in darkness, or particularly driving in the dark when I get there. The darkened sky does not put much spring in my step when getting up in the morning. And in several years at a higher latitude, seeing an afternoon that could be mistaken for midnight, can bring forth slight fury.

And yet…. I am discovering that “the hour that the sun rises and sets” is pretty squarely in the “things that are out of my control” category of life, along with “tides” and “whether or not gravity works.” While there are plenty of injustices in the world, things that are wrong and should be railed against until we make them right, in the back of my head, my more centered self knows that darkness is not a wrongdoing, but a season. As darkness becomes light and back again, neither is a curse, but has within it something of a blessing. I’ve been on the hunt, and these are the blessings I have found in darkness so far:

The stillness that comes when night falls, when the small noises we take for granted come close and even a parking lot that is full of bustle and hurry in the day, becomes quiet.

Coziness. When the light is out people may scatter, but when it is dark it can be time to gather in. Darkness is the time when around the hearth is exactly where you want to be, and when others may be invited to the center as well.

Darkness can help us recognize small holy things. Small things can become important. Stars that are obscured in the light of day become clear in darkness. Candles in the midst of a dark room become very special, and even sacred. Some of the most powerful worship services seem to happen at night, where a candle lit worship speaks to your soul in a different way.

If you would like to find someone to grumble about short days and long nights, trust me, you have a partner in me! But let me know too, if you have found a blessing in the darkness this season.  Because I would hate to miss blessing, even if it wasn’t the one I would have chosen.

Prayer: Dear God, you know that I more than sometimes can be grumpy. Help open my eyes to the gifts that can come, even with your sundown. Amen.

Peace,
Lisa