Several months after college graduation, a few lumps formed almost overnight in my neck.
I figured this was because I had been sick, and it’s common for lymph nodes to swell when a person is sick. One day in April, I woke up with a fever of 102 degrees. My dad took me to the hospital. After days of waiting and praying, I got the answer to the question burning inside my head. At twenty-four years old, I had cancer.
I had been strong in my faith, but the Enemy attacked me in the one way he knew how: the unknown. I couldn’t see what God’s plan was for this disease, and it felt as if my mind and heart were shrouded in darkness. All I could see was the pain, the fear, and the despair. I knew I had fallen, but I didn’t know how to get up or how to find my way out of my world of cancer darkness.
Although at times my heart was not in it, I always found myself back at church. The more I listened to sermons and Bible studies and attended prayer groups, the more I saw God in everything. Through my darkness, I saw the meaning behind many of God’s teachings and words. I finally saw God’s hands reaching out to me.
Trusting God when everything is going well and sailing smoothly is easy, but when something terrible happens, it is easier to turn our backs than bend our knees.
Too often, we lose ourselves within our grief and pain, and it is difficult to see the light of God shining and guiding us. When life seems to be surrounded, we tend to fall from our walk with the Lord. But through those dark times, we can see God’s light shining through.
God wants us to rise through the darkness and find His light to guide us. Isn’t it time to search for His great beacon?
What is the darkness that keeps you from seeing God’s Light?
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Jennifer Bailey is currently enjoying the life God has granted her in wild and wonderful West Virginia with her wonderful husband, three cats, and a dog. She spends her days hiking the beautiful mountains, reading, and pursuing a new career in writing. Jenn continues to grow in her walk with God through His Word, her church family, and friends.