Day 22: Letting in the Light

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:5 (NLT)

Doing something a little different for today's devotional. Tonight, God reminded me of a poem He inspired me to write almost two years ago and I felt Him urge me to share it. Before I share, I want to reiterate that if you're in a dark place, know that Jesus will be your light if you will allow Him to be. There is no place in all of existence too dark for Him, no mindset too depressed or undone for Him, no situation too messed up for Him-- He can heal all things, all souls. He makes all things new, He is the Light of the world, offering Himself as the way out, to a true, lasting, joyful/joy-filled life. Don't wade in the darkness anymore, friend, look to the Light of life, there is so much more for you ahead. This poem was written after a very dark, painful time of my life and I cannot thank God enough for showing me the light and pulling me out of the darkness. So very thankful to be healed by the Healer, to be set free, redeemed, wrapped up in the grace of my Savior. I hope and pray this speaks to someone today.

When it was all said & done

& the anger, unforgiveness, & pain couldn’t feed the hunger trauma had left inside

I found I was in the dark

& I liked it there

Alone Isolated Unseen

Thinking invisibility would heal my disease, kill my need for release from the anger & emptiness that darkness left inside

but I could hear it I could hear from the inside someone on the outside digging through working layer by layer to break through

& I was afraid afraid it would be like every other time I let vulnerability rehearse its lines & humanity took it to run this heart over but no— not this time

once the digger came to my door He knocked & He said His name was Light & I resisted yet light still shown through the cracks of my chained up, broken doors, never forcing Himself inside but letting Himself & His intentions be known So lying in the floors of my blackened prison corridors I opened the entrance to my soul & I let the light in And just like that I was free No more chains were holding me Flowers grew in the once darkest parts of my being Healing began Forgiveness poured out & pain

& fear crouched down realizing it had power

no more & I then began to see just how free I could be just by Letting in the Light

//

CG