Beside the darkness

This morning, I got up burdened by old thoughts, the ones we can all fall prey to. We’re not good enough. We haven’t achieved. We’re not loved. We’re in trouble. Bad things are going to happen.

These thoughts still me. They weigh me down.

But just beside this dark set of words are others. These others are bold and colorful. They have descriptives like beautiful, joyful, and hopeful. When I move even a bit of my attention toward them, I actually feel a force that warms me and pulls me up!

Which do I choose? Why would I stay with the former?

God tells us, “Choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). It isn’t easy to do, but it is always possible.

Reflection

In what ways do you choose to remain stilled, to sit with an identity that disempowers you? In what ways do you choose to grasp life?

Prayer

Dear God, remind us we do not have to sit in darkness. We do not have to accept it. The truth is right beside it, and the more we choose the truth (i.e., what is bold and beautiful), the more we’ll see just how big, how solid, and how life-giving it (You) actually is (are). May we rise up and choose life!*

*Note: For some of us, making this choice is not only difficult but requires deliberate repetition and commitment over time. God is always leading and offering us the grace to follow.