As the waves approached the shore, the sky grew lighter with each minute, casting out the darkness of night. Then far out on the water’s edge, a speck of light appeared. It steadily grew bigger and brighter as the sun made its way over the horizon, coming into full view. At last, there it was, in time and in all its glory, and there I was, in time and in all my glory… all by the grace of God.

I had been reluctant to sit in the dark, and had hemmed and hawed over whether or not to get up and go out. But now… what an inspiration to have witnessed the transformation as the light completely overcame the darkness that preceded it. How vastly different the experience would have been, had the darkness driven out my desire and extinguished any efforts to see the light and in the process the beauty of creation.

So many gifts! How precious and sacred creation, and the gifts of time and presence are. Life depends upon them. Oftentimes what one person may see or experience another may not. Yet, in time, the Truth is always revealed, and God’s presence made known, when we are ready and in the proper space to receive them—a willing participant so to speak.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is asked many times for signs to prove that he is Emmanuel (God with us). In today’s world, there seems to be so much darkness, and we, like the crowd, also seek signs. Oftentimes we may not see any, but nonetheless the signs are many and ever-present. When we stop, let go, and look around, they begin to appear; often in that which we may be taking for granted. For example, the sun rises each morning. In fact, the sun is always shining on some part of the earth, and is even there when covered by the clouds. We do not put it there or control it, yet every day it is present—and seen at the appointed time.

Sometimes, it is only through facing the risk, being in the quiet darkness, that we can truly see the Light.