enough

“Jesus said, ‘For a brief time still, the light is among you.  Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn’t destroy you.  If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going.’”  John 12:35 (The Message)

I am drawn to the phrase “Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn’t destroy you.”  (My own italics added)  It seems filled with deeper insights for me; truths that I have experienced along the way.  This is truth:  God gives me enough “light” to see and walk by each day, but sometimes it’s not enough to satisfy my desire or make me feel comfortable or secure.  God won’t always give me the amount of light (insight and/or understanding) that my ego desires.  I may long for more light than what I possess, but I don’t actually need more to walk by faith.  Having the amount of light I want often tempts me to feel safe and secure in what I know — not in who I know (God).  Insisting, or obsessing, upon obtaining more light than what I have can easily lead me down an even darker path, destroying what tenuous amount of inner peace I do possess.  If I chose to fully appreciate and embrace the light that God provides, believing it to be more than enough (even though I feel inadequate with it), then the darkness won’t be able to destroy my faith or inner peace.  I can continue to trust in God, even when I feel lost, perplexed, abandoned or devastated by my circumstances.  When I am in a dark place (you’ll notice that I said “when”, not “if”), I can trust God to provide the light that I actually need not only to survive, but to thrive as well.  

Thank you, Father, for light in dark places that is enough.

Amen!