And it is always coldest just before dawn

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. Genesis 1:14

May God be merciful to us and bless us, show us the light of His countenance and come to us. Psalm  67:1

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Saturday I felt trapped in the darkness. A heavy molten depth of despair had descended upon me and I was blind. I was trapped behind the thunk thunk thunk of bars of hopelessness. Which ticked off my fingers in oft repeated ease the many perceived sorrows of life.

But I headed off to the sharing service with a prayer and a whisper of hope–And God said, let there be lights to separate the day from the night, even though the night had crept into my day and I could not see.

What is true. 

And we sang When I taste Your goodness I shall not want.

And the guy with the bright orange mohawk and more piercings than Pierce himself affirmed that He is our Loving Father. 

And one by one my brothers and sisters stepped up to the mic and told stories of when the path lay dim.  Lights. And I scrawled their lessons learned on the back of the bulletin.

The evil one only wishes to steal, kill and destroy our joy.

And this is how darkness is slain: thanksgiving in the hard things.

Truly I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

And He restored my soul. And the Light of His countenance shone round about. And the darkness was in no way overshadowing. And my heart, divided and enslaved by doubt was mercifully freed and made whole under His most gracious rule. And I rejoiced and was glad in it.

His love is sufficient. 

And when I scraped frost off the windshield this morning, the stars shone brightly in the early morning purple sky—and the stars God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth. 

And it was good.