The Light Shines in the Darkness

Since I am a meteorologist, it probably doesn't surprise you that I spend a lot of time watching the sky. What might surprise you is that clear nights can be just as exciting for me as stormy ones. One of my favorite places to watch the sky is Minaret Vista near Mammoth Lakes California. Minaret Vista has an elevation over 9000 feet and a panoramic view of mountain forests below and open skies above.  It can be a great place to watch storms, but it's an even better place to watch the stars.  On clear nights you can see the bright band of the Milky Way, satellites tracking across the sky, and even the occasional streaks of meteors flaming through the atmosphere. One of my favorite times to watch the stars at Minaret Vista is during the Perseid meteor shower that happens every August.  Under the right conditions, the Perseids can produce over 100 brilliant meteors per hour.

If you've ever tried watching the Perseids near a city, you've most likely been disappointed. City lights create a bright haze that makes it nearly impossible to see any meteors. While city lights aren't a problem at Minaret Vista, the natural light of a bright moon can ruin a good show. That's why I get most excited when the Perseid's happen during a new moon. The darker the backdrop the brighter the meteors.

But what if those meteors were glimpses of God, and the dark backdrop the trials of my life? Do I get excited about those dark nights the way I might on Minaret Vista? Of course not. I pray for light. I pray for the times of refreshing promised in Acts 3:19 and the good gifts from God in Matthew 7:11. But when those refreshing moments and good gifts come, I don't always find myself yearning for God. When things are easy my faith can get lazy, and my view of God grows dim. While I believe there's nothing wrong with praying for times of refreshing, I also believe I see more of God's light on dark nights.  

This fight for Samuel's adoption has brought some very dark nights. But those dark nights have revealed His light more clearly than any sunny day.  His light shined outside the courtroom on Thursday as we gathered in prayer with family and friends. His light shined through my wife's words of encouragement to Samuel's birthmom. His light has shined through His provision to us in generous unexpected gifts. His light is showing up in many ways that we can only see because of the darkness of the situation. That's how God has always worked. He uses dark times as opportunities to show His glory.  A storm raged over Jesus and His disciples so He could be glorified in it's calming (Mark 4). A man was born blind so God could be glorified in his sight (John 9). The Israelites were enslaved by Pharaoh so God's glory could be revealed in their redemption (Exodus).  

I have never wanted anything more than I want to be Samuel's dad and I pray I will have the chance to glorify God in that victory soon. But I also pray that in the meantime, God continues to reveal His glory despite the darkness of the battle.