“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5 NLT

I hate the way Daylight Savings Time throws off my schedule, but I’ll never complain about gaining an extra hour of daylight. Sunshine makes such a difference in how I feel, physically and emotionally. If I could move to a location that enjoyed thirteen hours of sunlight a day, year round, I would.

I’ve read about “The Land of the Midnight Sun,” where the sun is continuously visible for twenty-four hours a day, for varying months depending on the proximity to the equator. It sounds wonderful! But the unfortunate flip side is the months spent in total darkness. During those months, suicide rates climb as depression prevails. The constant gloom is difficult to endure.

When I think about the way we are dependent on sunlight for Vitamin D and how vitally important it is to our physical and emotional health, I am reminded how we are dependent on Jesus for our spiritual well-being. Without Jesus, we would live the darkness of sin and human depravity, separated from God, without hope.

But the Light of the World offers us forgiveness and the promise of a better life. Because of the death and resurrection of Christ, we don’t have to live as captives to sin. We have new freedom. We don’t have to live in the darkness of despair and sin because we have access to a Light that no darkness can extinguish.

When the gloom of life’s struggles threatens to overwhelm us, we need to turn our faces to the Light.

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3 NIV

There are days when my faith is solid, rock-steady, and powerful enough to move mountains. I can remember with ease the times God has provided and blessed. Other days, my brain says that God will provide but I can’t bring my wayward emotions into line.

I wake up in the morning and lay my requests before him. But the uneasiness isn’t replaced with peace. I feel discontentment and longing. Just recently God answered my prayers in a mighty way and I was awed by his goodness. Why do I now feel the shadow of doubt creeping into my thoughts?

In John 15:7 Jesus says, “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.” When we are aligned with Jesus, we won’t ask for anything outside of God’s will. He’s not a genie in a lamp waiting to grant three wishes. He wants us to know his character and grow in our faith.

So I am sifting my words as I pray, aligning my requests with his will. And I have confidence that he will provide in his own way and time… just make me wait longer than I’d like, and in a way that is outside of my small comfort zone.

Perhaps those very needs that weigh on my mind are blessings in disguise. They keep me coming back every morning to lay my requests before God. Every need is an opportunity for him to grow my faith.

"But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: ‘Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.’

“But Naaman became angry and stalked away. ‘I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!’ he said. ‘I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!’" II Kings 5:10-11 (NLT)

To quote from The Tale of Despereaux: “No one is born afraid.” Life’s lessons often leave scars. Sometimes they run deep, so deep that we don’t realize they are the root of anger, bitterness, or anxiety in our lives.

Once we realize we have healing that requires God’s work, I’m afraid most of us are a lot like Naaman. We want the healing to be an instantaneous and miraculous event, the way that Jesus healed the blind and lame in the Bible. It would be so much easier on our pride and spare us so much work.

Now, there may be times when healing comes swift and sure, but most of the time God expects us to participate with him in the process. He wants us to learn about him as we learn about ourselves through the journey toward healing.

If we truly desire to be restored, we need to do more than ask for it. We must be willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve it. Even at the risk of our pride. That means admitting our weaknesses and flaws; seeking counseling, if necessary; reading books that will guide our progress; spending intentional time in prayer and listening for God’s voice; and working with God through the process.

How tragic it would be if Naaman had continued to be separated from his family by leprosy when all he needed to do was walk down to the river and wash.

“In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.” Psalm 25:1 (NIV)

Experience is the greatest of all teachers: children learn to leave the stove alone after burning their fingers. But unfortunately, sometimes we learn false lessons. We learn about a person, and think that lesson is about people. Or we internalize a life lesson that wasn’t about us at all, based on beliefs we’ve already developed about ourselves or others.

At one time, I thought I had a solid relationship with God and knew his plan for my life. And then the world shifted under my feet, and when I looked up, I didn’t recognize anything in front of me. Everything had changed. There were no certainties.

When I reflect on how God allowed my life to be leveled, like a mobile home in a tornado, I realize that it was ultimately an act of love. He knew that for me to begin making vital changes in my attitudes and in my depth of faith, I would have to endure hardship.

At the lowest point I questioned his love and his wisdom. I questioned his very existence. There was a long road of heartache and struggle stretching ahead for me. But God was already at work to provide for all my needs. He was at work even when I doubted him the most.

Now I have these rich experiences of God’s tender presence and faithfulness to look back on as he rebuilt my life in the wake of devastation. Now I know that whatever comes, I can trust him.

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3

Every little girl dreams of meeting her Prince Charming. The thought occupies a ridiculous amount of time and energy. But I’m reminded of a quote by Logan P. Smith: “There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want, and after that to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.”

Cinderella and Snow White may have lived happily ever after, but the rest of us live in the real world. We don’t meet handsome men who ride white horses and solve all our problems in a daring swordfight.

We fall in love with real men who may be handsome, but possess as many issues as we do. We don’t ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. We learn how to understand and appreciate one another as we grow and heal together, and as we face life’s challenges together.

No matter where you are in life, there’s something to pin your hopes and dreams on. I know a woman who yearned to adopt a child only to laugh later about “buyer’s remorse.” The only one who can fulfill us is Christ. The only one who can meet our emotional needs is Christ. Anything that becomes a “god” in our lives is going to let us down.

Our husbands, our children, our jobs—they are all gifts from God. If we set them up as gods in our lives, we’re setting ourselves up for trouble!

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God...” Romans 8:28 NLT

A long, dry walk in the heat of summer gives you new appreciation for a cool drink of water. Without knowing what it feels like to be parched, we wouldn’t value the sensation of being refreshed. What we have at our disposal every day, we take for granted.

Maybe God allows us to know hardship and want so that when the blessings come, we can see them for all that they are. And thank him for them.

When I woke up sick on Sunday morning, I was disappointed. But my husband and I bonded that day in a very special way because he chose to stay by my side. I gained new appreciation for Ben as he cared for me with tender thoughtfulness.

If God had given me the choice to spend the day healthy or sick in bed, my choice would be obvious. And if it hadn’t been for everything I experienced in the years leading up to this time in my life, I wouldn’t appreciate my husband’s attentiveness as I do. This is new for me. That’s what makes it so precious.

God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes he allows us to experience the very things we would bypass if given the choice. When we find ourselves in tough times, we need to remember that God is at work in many different ways to mold and shape us into the image of his son. Perhaps we can’t truly know gratitude until we have first known deprivation.