Seeing in the Darkness

God is too good. Every time I begin to wonder-lust and think about how much I would like to return to teaching, God does something to tell me to stay put; He has me right where He wants me. I must share about such a time that happened in my office last week.

A year or so ago she was in and out of our offices. Me, the retention specialist, it seemed like she would talk to anyone who would listen. Her life was in shambles. Really … that is not an exaggeration; if anything, an understatement. To all of us, she seemed to be a lost soul floundering in waves far too deep for her. What happened in the year that she was gone is a miracle of God and truly amazing!

I would never share all that was going on in her very young life; suffice it to say, her life had taken several bad turns. To someone who doesn’t know God – she was a failure and was unfixable. Then she left college, which appeared to be the only stability of her life.

Fast forward about a year and there she was again sitting in my office. I must tell you; it was the BEST hour or so I have had in a long, long time. She came to see me and sat in my office for over an hour telling me how God had turned her life around. She shared how her life continued to get worse — and then she met the Savior.

She shared with me the most beautiful illustration of how God took care of her during the past year. I cannot repeat it exactly as she shared, but I will try. She held out a cupped hand and said, “God never overlooked me. In all that I was doing wrong in my life, I was right there in the palm of His hand. He could have turned His hand and dumped me, but that is not God. As my situation worsened, He continued to hold me. When He knew I had run away as far as I could, He took His other hand and held it over my life (as she cupped both hands together). It wasn’t until I sat in total darkness with nowhere to go that I realized all He was protecting me from. I realized I had nowhere to go but to His light.”

I had to think of all the ‘dark’ times some of our folks are going through and smiled at the image in my mind; God is holding us in that darkness, protecting us from far worse. When times seem dark, we are quick to say that God has deserted us; how wrong we are!

She continued, “He loved me and held me and pulled me to His side so that I could see in the darkness that I had to stop running and start relying. I’m still in the palm of His hand, but now His other hand has been removed and I can see His face.”

I don’t think I have ever seen such a radiant smile. She had God shining all over her. I expect to see great things continue in her life.

We all need to remember that we are in the palm of His hand, too. If it gets dark, He is protecting us from what could be so much worse. Then when the storms clear He will remove His protective hand and the light will shine from His face.

God, please help me remember, when it seems that life is at its darkest, You have not left me. You have just cupped Your hand over me to protect me from what could be worse than I am experiencing. I don’t know about you, but I think that is just about the best thing I have heard in a long, long time.