Wednesday morning I left the house at 6:50am to meet my walking partner a few blocks away. It is still dark in west Michigan at 6:50. It was about 12 degrees and I looked out the window to check the wind before leaving the house. How many layers do I put on? The flag hung limp at the school across the road. Yes!
I stepped outside and immediately was surrounded by glory. The snow was gently falling in large beautiful flakes; the yellow street lights catching each one floating in the air or lying on the ground. I was awestruck. I met my walking partner a few minutes later. She greeted me, "It's like walking on diamonds!" Glory had invaded the darkness.
My world has been turned a bit upside down the last couple of weeks. I've taken the training at the Center for Women in Transition. It involves 21 hours of training over two weeks. Training to be an advocate for those living in a world of domestic violence and sexual assault. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I've come alongside women who have been in abusive relationships before, but the magnitude of the needs, seeing the different facets, and recognizing how prevalent it is was eye opening. It touched me on a deep level.
I preached on Christmas Eve about Jesus, the light of the world. I focused on the line, "Carry your candle, run to the darkness." from the song, "Go Light Your World." I hadn't put it together that volunteering at CWIT would be how God was calling me to live out what I had preached. Run to the darkness? We have been taught and socialized in our Christian culture to avoid the darkness. We are better at huddling together to share our light with each other, protect each other's lights from going out. But, run to the darkness?
Somehow being surrounded by the diamonds floating from the sky, and realizing it was because the light was piercing the darkness that glory showed up, also touches me at a deep level. I may not be ready to run, but...
I stepped outside and immediately was surrounded by glory. The snow was gently falling in large beautiful flakes; the yellow street lights catching each one floating in the air or lying on the ground. I was awestruck. I met my walking partner a few minutes later. She greeted me, "It's like walking on diamonds!" Glory had invaded the darkness.
My world has been turned a bit upside down the last couple of weeks. I've taken the training at the Center for Women in Transition. It involves 21 hours of training over two weeks. Training to be an advocate for those living in a world of domestic violence and sexual assault. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I've come alongside women who have been in abusive relationships before, but the magnitude of the needs, seeing the different facets, and recognizing how prevalent it is was eye opening. It touched me on a deep level.
I preached on Christmas Eve about Jesus, the light of the world. I focused on the line, "Carry your candle, run to the darkness." from the song, "Go Light Your World." I hadn't put it together that volunteering at CWIT would be how God was calling me to live out what I had preached. Run to the darkness? We have been taught and socialized in our Christian culture to avoid the darkness. We are better at huddling together to share our light with each other, protect each other's lights from going out. But, run to the darkness?
Somehow being surrounded by the diamonds floating from the sky, and realizing it was because the light was piercing the darkness that glory showed up, also touches me at a deep level. I may not be ready to run, but...
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