When Darkness Feels Endless, Let God Be Your Lantern
Karin Hadadan, best-selling author of Beauty in the Stillness, writes about the light of God that flickers within all of us, even in the most profound darkness.
We are all carrying weight on our shoulders—a heaviness cast upon us due to financial burdens, relationship dynamics, work stresses, health challenges, or feeling disconnected from our purpose. This often leads us into a deep state of despair, where nothing makes sense and the darkness we find ourselves in feels like something we will never escape. In this state, we become consumed by fears, worries, and anxieties, believing that where we are is where we will remain. That there is no hope.
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
Isaiah 60:1
But even in seasons of darkness, God invites us to emerge into spiritual awakening. A reclamation of our power and His. To rise, with grace and sovereignty, to the magnificence of our destined place in this world. His invitation isn’t to create our own light, but to open our hearts wide enough for Him to reignite the light already inside of us—the light that is a reflection of His glory. Rather than passively waiting for this moment to come, we have the free will to cooperate with that moment, to seek hope and God’s presence even in darkness. To crack ourselves open and let the light enter.
When you truly believe that your unique brilliance can shine and illuminate the world around you, leaving an impact and leading a life of service, you will see yourself as a beam of light in daily circumstances. In simple ways and in grand ways, whether it’s offering a smile to a stranger, being a helping hand to a friend in need, or serving your community through charitable work. What we come to realize is that it is precisely within those seasons of darkness that we transition into illuminating beings, awakening our souls and renewing our spirits for eternity, acting as a north star for others around us who are also in a period of darkness.
As God’s glory rises upon us, we arise and shine—not through our own strength, but through the dawning light of divine purpose that breaks through our midnight moments.
