In the dark

1 Peter 5:10
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."


When the lights go cold, hold tight. It is in your darkest hour that your greatest testimony is being written. To the suffering, struggling and hurting the pitch black - blacker than the blackest of nights - is frightening. Vision is rendered useless. We grope for a railing to hold onto, bumping into walls with every step. Our movement is slow, labored and sometimes even paralyzed.
It is in these moments of utter darkness that God does His most awe-inspiring work. He paints the most beautiful canvases in the dark. He sculpts display-worthy pottery when there is not even a glimmer of light.
You and I, in the midst of our deepest struggles and longest trials, are that canvas, that piece of pottery, in the hands of the Great Artist who works best in the dark. The completed work of art isn't completed yet but in that darkness the work is most certainly underway. If we will remain patient, faithful and hopeful we will see the Master's masterpiece on full display when all is said and done, when the lights come back on.
Could it be that God has turned out the lights so that we are forced to trust Him? Could it be that darkness has descended so that the work God is doing can be left a mystery, a surprise to be revealed once a transformation has been completed?
Our testimony is being written on that canvas in the midst of our struggle. The story that will bring the most glory to God is the story written on a weak, broken, and weary canvas that has been under construction in the dark. That is where God is busy with His brushes and His chisels creating something remarkable out of something ordinary, or, worse, something tragic.
Today, if you are in the dark hold on tightly to the Creator who is at work in your life transforming you into a masterpiece. His plan is to make you a testimony, bringing glory to His name. When you are complete your life will show the world the greatness of God and the perfect plan He brings to fulfillment in the dark.