Dark Night of the Soul

The phrase brings haunting imagery to mind, but it doesn't have to. It is so very descriptive of how many of my friends are experiencing life right now, but it has Hope as its intended result.

I have been noticing the intensity of the dark times for several years now and it would seem that they are not only inevitable, they are an indication of something Good and True emerging.

Hope.

Hope is the last thing some of us know about lately, but it remains nonetheless. We are all, each of us, hoping for something better for ourselves, and the Dark Night syndrome, although excruciating, is a clear sign that Light is in our immediate future. It is this absence from the Light that allows us time to refocus our eyes; to reevaluate our priorities; and to ultimately re-present ourselves to the world.

I have also noticed that these times are less frequent, but more powerful in their effects. This is encouraging for me as it tells me that I am learning to maneuver through the darkness more efficiently. I am more familiar with the Hope that springs forth in the aftermath, and that provides energy to endure.

My friends, these are strange and difficult days to be sure. At the same time, it is an unfolding of possibilities if we are aware of it. We are never alone in the darkness even though we sometimes forget under the weight of our circumstances and pain. And when we come out on the other side into the Light, we realize that we were never, ever left alone.

I am never alone.

Choose for yourself this day to see your situation as hopeful. It may not truly be at this moment, but it will be. You and I can rest in the peace of that certainty. Inner peace will be our experience sooner than later when we see our path for what it is:

A journey of reacquainting ourselves with the Source of Life.

God is real. Love is the proof. And Dark Nights are lovingly designed to propel us out of fear and into Peace.

I love you. -- jb