Exposing What Lies in Darkness

That last post was pretty vulnerable, and I thank you for receiving it—for receiving me. Not everyone thought my personal story should have been shared, which is understandable, so I want to bring clarity about my conviction to expose this layer of myself.

It would seem that I did not need to share such personal information, as the struggles in my life do not make the Glory of the Lord more Beautiful. He is enough, indeed. I could have shared the encouraging conclusion at the end, and it would have been powerful on its own.

An excerpt from the mentioned post: “It truly does not matter what you have done, or what has been done to you—He Loves you—infinitely.” You could read this line on its own, relate it to your life, and accept its Truth—and that is Beautiful. But some of us are skeptical. We look at our own experiences, and it does not seem to match up. We doubt the credibility of the witness, and we are suspicious of the motive behind the message. Vague fluffiness is not convincing. Our agreement typically comes only when we had already been led to agree through our own experiences—but even then may come with a hint of annoyance. There is nothing wrong with the message, but we are guarded in our reception.

In any research paper you have written, I am sure you had to provide more than a conclusion. The Resurrection of Jesus makes no sense without His Passion and Death. We are forever plagued by the question: ”what came first—the chicken or the egg?” Runners in a race are watched from the start, not just at the finish line. We need proof. We need reasons. We need clarity. We need the struggle of the journey. If I am sharing a conviction with you, I want you to know how it has been formed. I want you to find me worthy of your trust.

I do not share about Jesus to promote some obscure personal cause. I have no motive but to share Love—to share Truth. If Truth is Light, then it is meant to uncover what is hidden in darkness—and to this I made my testament. If I truly believe in the source of my dignity, then I have nothing to hide—nothing to be ashamed of—nothing to fear. Because He protects me, nothing can destroy me.

The journey through life is not easy—regardless of your religious beliefs. There is suffering, death, violence, injustice, poverty, etc. Belief in God does not make these realities go away, just as these realities do not mean God does not exist. I believe in Him, not because He stops bad things from happening, but because He is real. We have free will. We live in an environment that allows us to grow in virtue. Until we are fully united with God in Heaven, we will experience suffering. We need to be aware of evil—our opposition—or we will not know how to respond when we encounter it for ourselves. If we think following God will make everything sparkles and rainbows, we give up when we are confronted with arrows and the cross. To encourage others to persevere, I want to be honest about the struggles.

And though there is suffering, we are not meant to suffer alone. God is with us, and He is Good. In His Mercy, we are to encounter Him, as did the woman of Samaria who met Jesus at the well (John 4: 1-42). She went to draw water at a particular time of day to avoid seeing the other women—hiding in her shame—avoiding the ridicule of others. When she encountered Jesus, she was not ridiculed. He knew all of her brokenness, but He accepted her. Furthermore, He offered her Hope and Freedom—fulfillment in Him. No longer hiding herself, she went to the village to share Christ. Through her witness, others are led to Christ, encounter Him, and believe in Him. This story gives me hope—conviction that I have no need to be embarrassed.

He receives me in my brokenness, and He Loves me. He desires for you to go to Him in your brokenness—to be Loved by Him. If you are waiting for Him, open your eyes. He waits for you. Allow Him to walk with you through your hardships. He offers us Peace and Joy as we endure the sufferings before us.

Life is a Pilgrimage. (Photo taken by Danielle Bauer, El Camino de Santiago, Spain)