When It's All Dark...Then What?

Well yes, actually, the travel brochure does mention periods of darkness. It also, if you read it closely, promises times of great difficulty on your journey. Perhaps if you were to actually open it and not just look at the pretty picture on the cover, sir, you would notice these items clearly listed for you. There are also many travel advisories to aid you in surpassing these hazards so as to make it to the destination with fulness of joy. Oh yes, I almost forgot, you also have to leave this travel office to embark upon your journey, the brochure is not your destination after all, is it sir?

How often do I end up in this man's shoes? Too often! As it says in "Waking the Dead" by John Eldridge, I forget that I am at war to obtain the promises spoken. Gee, you'd think with my love for good war movies I would have some understanding that this would be hard. Yet every time the sun sets all I can see is the flash of artillery and the only sounds between explosions are the suspicious night sounds of a possible enemy sneak attack. These are the times when the sunshiney days at the top of the hill of victory seem so far away. Hunkering down in the foxhole there is a lot of time to reflect upon oneself that is not afforded during the rush through the middle of a firefight. The darkness is where the propaganda megaphone is pulled out and the faceless voice taunts you. Even your great victory is dissected into so many pieces that it is difficult to see how you considered it such a sensation. In fact how can you be sure it wasn't actually a planned retreat by your enemy to draw you into this place where you now find yourself? Even dawn's promise comes into question. Hmmm, what did my recruiter tell me to do??


Satiation

How deep and endless, from my eyes,
Does the gulf of my indigence appear.
And here I find Your great wonder,
The unsearchable fullness of Your giving
Beyond all that my eye can see
Or yet that my want may want;
And when perchance You step within the clouds
Then endless still is the well
Where Your memory dwells
Here I drink of the faith birthed in times of sight
Only to find this faith
Is a harbour in the sea of Your faithfulness
For You gave in time to give against the time
Of all my want.

(Brad Koop-March 21,2003)