11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Rom. 13:11-12
The time is not “spent” there is time to fill your life with light and love. As we rush from task to task spending money, time, and energy. Know that there is the exact amount of time you require to wrap your life in light and love.
When you consciously bring light and love into your life the cacophony of daily activity becomes a symphony. Each instrument is brought into tune and there is harmony. Harmony to me is like the experience of Grace in one’s life. This is a beautiful power beyond our own ability or strength that enables greater success than we could ever achieve on our own.
When you feel like you’ve spent your energy, youth, health, and all that remains is the pressing weight of responsibilities, pain, fatigue, and emptiness this is when light and love can shine the brightest. However it is at this time when light and love seem unattainable. What could possibly crack open your empty hollow shell to allow light and love into your being?
It is hope and the promise of change. Just because daily life is intolerable does not mean that it must be your ever after reality. Just by reading this and opening your thoughts to the idea of a different existence you are taking the first small step.
The idea is beautiful yet scary to many . . . change. What if life gets worse? This is the first question many ask. We are pre-programmed for survival. Because of this we automatically imagine failure, more work, or any number of difficult situations that make us believe that we’d be better off to just continue in our known reality. Because the unknown, which has not occurred, could be our destruction. In our mind this seems to be logical, but it is not. We are already destroying ourselves, pressed down by our current expenditure of life force, energy, money, time . . . the list never ends. So change is required for survival.
But there is one thing that is easy to forget when considering change. You are not to do all the heavy lifting of change by yourself. This is where hope enters and it makes all the difference. Hope is obtained from somewhere. Where? Is it found in the darkness of temporary success or sating of desires? Hope goes beyond the temporary. Hope is found in the knowledge that miracles are real and that God is blessing you. Hope is found in the knowledge that this temporary life is a part of something much larger, your existence as a divine being.
Consider allowing yourself to believe that you are loved by a Father in Heaven. Consider that He is placing opportunities and blessings in your path so that you can see the good even in difficult situations.
For example: When my sons were young our family was struggling in every way possible. It was a very dark time and I was not certain that we would survive. In fact I could not see beyond my health, marital, financial, and issues of faith. It was such a dark time that I consciously turned off my emotions so I could function for my sons. I became nothing but a shell. One night I prayed without hope, desperately giving all my hurt and dreams to Jesus. I couldn’t handle life, I was barely surviving. So I gave it all to Him, even my dreams. At the time I didn’t really believe that God would concern Himself with my beautiful aspirations that seemed so out of reach. I thought God’s job was to keep us on track so that we didn’t screw our lives up too much. It was the next day when I began to understand in my mind that He would bless us as much as we allow. A tiny significant miracle occurred. My husband hugged me. It was a small amount of love and light. When this occurred, I didn’t push away. From that moment on I practiced saying yes to the blessings that God put in my path. Next came the water balloon fight. It was a crack in the tight band of darkness that had surrounded our home. I accepted the love and light this brought. Next was the dream art show at the BYU Museum of Art. For 3 months I worked intensely. This work was indeed a miracle on many levels. I said yes to the exhibit, though it was very difficult to complete the work on time with marital issues and financial problems.
All your problems are temporary. All of them. Including physical issues like my hearing loss. It has been a challenge all my life. I have struggled to feel loved or included. But I know that life is part of a much larger “game plan.” God wants me and you to learn as much as possible in this life. In order to learn we must experience hard things and grow. As we embrace the hard things and consistently choose to see the love God has for us in trials, we will be filled with such love and light that God’s power will be a tremendous force for good through us.
No longer will you be pressed down by your burdens, but you will find reasons to smile. It will become easier to breathe. Your responsibilities will not magically evaporate. However, you will become a new person. And this person will be filled with joy, a combination of strength and weakness, dark times and light . . . . and always true and genuine love.
Now is the time to welcome in small and beautiful changes that are presented before you, found in your path. As you do this pray and give God your hurt and dreams. Then don’t push away the blessings start to come. Accept the changes. Smile. Stand up straight. Breathe deeply.
You are loved.
You are a being of light.
I am so excited to see you step forward into the light and truly live.