Darkness at 811 White Pines (12/11/2023)

Last evening, as my husband and I attempted to watch a Hallmark Christmas movie, the power went off at 7:56, then again at 8:04, and again at 8:11, and again at 8:18, and again and again until 8:48 when it went off and didn’t come back on within a minute. We were in total darkness. I turned on my cellphone flashlight. My husband recommended that I not do that since we had no way of charging my phone if the outage was long term. He’s a thinker! After 15 minutes in total darkness, I announced that I was calling it a night, and I went to bed. I said my goodnights to the LORD with my head on the pillow instead of my usual time on the porch. Darkness can have a perverse effect on us.

The first and second time the power went off and then came back on within a minute, I got up and hit the reset button on my frig and reset the clocks on my stove and microwave. When it happened again seven minutes later, I realized we were experiencing technical difficulties on a repeat cycle, and I decided to just leave things alone until someone with more power than me could fix things. When it went out at 8:48 and didn’t come back on as it had in the previous cycles, I went to bed. At 12:15 a.m., I was awakened by a sea of light. I guess I’d left all the lights on unknowingly. The light was welcomed even though it wasn’t planned. It was settling. I walked around, checked everything, reset what needed to be reset, and returned to bed for some great sleep.

This morning as I sat with my coffee on the porch and greeted both my LORD and the day, I do what I always do, I shared with the LORD the drama from the day before. I realize the LORD is well aware of it, but I also realize I need to retell and own not only the story but the moment. I confessed to the LORD my frustration at not being in control. I admitted my dependence upon the technology of our time. I acknowledged my human need for light. And suddenly, it was as if the importance of Advent and Christmas were exponentially heightened. The world in darkness needs a great light. As we approach the darkest and longest night, we cry out to our LORD to come. And the LORD does come with a light so bright not even a tomb can dim it.

As I sat and reflected upon my realization, I recalled that the movie my husband and I were watching was about the 7th day of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. I smiled at the LORD; even I could see a theme here. I uttered smiling, “Clever.”

Truly, our LORD is the light upon which we rely, without whom we cannot find our way, we cannot flourish. As I ended my prayer time this morning, I committed anew to following the LORD wherever He leads me, to searching for His light in my days and nights and throughout my journey.

As we journey on through Advent to the great celebration of Christmas, let us all recommit to following the LORD. Let us all acknowledge that Christ is “the light of the world” and recall the words of the Gospel of John, “What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.