He kissed the soft cheek of his baby girl goodnight.  He had a long day; things were tough for Dad at work and coming home to an energetic four-year-old is exhausting.  But he loved it–his family was his world.

He had a caring wife and daughter he adored.  Even though his work day was burdensome, he could come home and almost forget the chaos when his lovely wife and precious daughter jumped into his arms.

The little girl loved her daddy.  He was kind and smart and brave and loved Mommy more than anything in the world.  She loved being in the embrace of her father, sitting in his lap, being tossed in the air knowing that he would catch her.  She was safe and secure with her arms wrapped around Daddy’s neck.

That’s why on that particular night she called out to him when she was afraid.

“Daddy!” she cried, “Daddy, the dark—it scares me.”  But he didn’t fear the dark or become angry with his daughter.  Instead, he comforted her and stayed with her until she felt safe.  He might not have feared the darkness, but he empathized with her, even though it was silly to fear a dark room.  After all, his and Mommy’s bedroom was right next door.  He was right there.

There are parts of our adult life that are dark, that scare us.  “What am I supposed to do when I graduate?” “Will my kids turn out okay?” “Will I be able to find a job?” “What happens when _____,” and the list goes on.  Each question accompanied by fear and distress.  We fear the dark parts of our life: the unknown, the uncertain, the ambivalent.  We fear the things we cannot know—that which we think we must know.

But darkness in our lives is a form of protection, an opportunity to grow and let go of our own agenda.  The psalmist wrote “even darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You” Psalm 139:12.  The next time you’re in bed, pondering the shadows of the days to come, remember that your future is not dark to God.  He keeps you safe, and this darkness does not exist to Him.  When we can’t see anything, He sees.  He sees your dreams and your dreads.  It is not hidden from Him.

Trust in Him. “A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?” Proverb 20:24. That’s the beauty; we don’t have to comprehend His thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

There will be times when we are without understanding—embrace the lack of knowledge and grow in the One who will carry you through it all.

For Further Reading:

I Peter 5:7

II Timothy 1:7

Deuteronomy 31:6

Proverbs 3:5-6

Psalm 55:22