18

If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night – but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. (Psalm 139:7-12 NLT)

Though I became a Christian early in my life there have been many times since then when I have wrapped myself up so tightly in the darkness around me that I wanted nothing more than to hide in the depths of it.

For years, I ran as far as I could from the outstretched hand of my Heavenly Father that beckoned me home.

But even in the very darkest seasons of my life His hand was always there guiding me.

His strength was always there supporting me.

A few years ago, I was asked to give the testimony of my life to a group of ladies.

I wanted to tell them about all the wonderful things God has done in my life since I quit running quite so much and began following after Him at least a little more often.

But He kept calling me back to those dark places.

It was only then that I realized I could see His hand just as clearly in the seasons of darkness as I could in the seasons of light.

I could see His strength supporting me even when I deserved it the least.

That is the beauty of grace.

And the power of mercy.

May we always remember that sometimes it takes darkness to see the light.