Scared of the Dark Scared of the Dark

“Mommy, I’m scared of the dark.” Spencer said to me one night as he was going to bed.

“The same thing that is in the light is in the dark. The only difference is you can’t see it anymore.” I told him as I tucked him.

Most of us are scared of the dark. We know logically that what was in the light is in the shadows of the darkness. However, we can no longer see what was once there and we have to trust instead of fear.

Every one of us has to face the dark at many different times in our lives. We lose loved ones to death, addictions and other choices we would not make for them. We lose our security in things we have known for so long; our jobs, relationships or ideas. We don’t want to face the darkness. We want to live in the light. But there are times we find ourselves in the darkness and we have to face our fears. The decisions we make at that time are critical to our recovery, growth and development. It is natural to fear the dark as an emotion or a reaction but if we allow that fear to grow we may let ourselves be absorbed by it and it will turn to insecurity and doubt about ourselves.

We can choose to recognize that fear, embrace it and stop it. We can instead choose to trust that what was there in the light is still there in the darkness we just can’t see it. In the darkest hours of our lives when we doubt our future, ourselves and our faith we feel as though we are sinking and there is no alternative but going down. It is in those times we need to grasp our faith and God and not let go. It’s easy to love God in the light when we see the beauty of nature, the smiles of our children, and the prosperity of a hard earned career. But when the gray clouds fill our sight, our children seem distant and the career is gone, we question our faith and our God. It is in those times that faith is the most important element of all.

Know that God will pull you through. Understand that in order to get out of the darkness you must concentrate on the light. Darkness cannot overcome the light. One little flickering flame of a match can light up an entire room. Your faith in God can dispel the darkness and fear from your life. Do not give into the insecurity, worry and doubt. Instead talk to God, pray for His closeness and trust that He will pull you through this darkness to the light once more.

“So submit yourselves to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

James 4:7-8

Copyright 2013 Lori Hadorn-Disselkamp