The Light Remains: Finding Hope in Difficult Times

Earlier this week I took my morning walk knowing it would be a few weeks of recovery time before I’d feel up to walking again. I was feeling mixed emotions enjoying the morning air while feeling anxious about an upcoming medical procedure. Then I was greeted with a beautiful sunrise.

The thing about that sunrise is I knew it was because of smoke in the air from a nearby wildfire. A fire threatening people’s homes and putting firefighters at risk as they did their best to contain it. I felt somewhat guilty enjoying the mixed colors of red, orange, and yellow as the sun peeked over the mountains, knowing others were faced with uncertainty and fear.

I thought about how this relates to life. Sometimes the beauty we witness is intertwined with painful things we wish weren’t there. The last few days have been filled with physical pain as I underwent a procedure to heal my body. I have felt miserable and healing continues to be quite painful. Yet I have hope that in the end, I will feel better than before.

But the timing of the procedure was also a choice. Sometimes, we do not always have a choice about the difficult things that enter our lives. At times, it can feel as though the darkness will never end. The pain may feel all-consuming, extinguishing all hope of survival … and sometimes leaving wounds that run deep.

I know what those deep wounds feel like. Sometimes they have been so severe that I felt no healing balm existed that could ever soothe the pain. I felt alone, depressed, and ready for the end to come. Yet somehow, the sunrise would eventually shine through and even if for just a moment, I could see beauty once again.

I wanted to share this for those out there facing their own difficult season of life. I don’t know when relief will come or when the darkness will begin to lift. But I can say that you are not alone.

I feel a bit hypocritical saying that when I have been feeling alone in my own challenges. But these last few days, while dealing with physical pain, I still found myself wanting to write about certain moments. As I shared pieces of what I was experiencing, I felt a little less alone. In some ways it was better pain medication than anything I took by mouth.

I think in those moments my focus shifted away from my pain and more toward the universal pain we all touch at times. It’s easy for me to get caught in the belief that no one understands my struggles, that I am completely alone.

Yet most of us know what it feels like to be hurt by life in some way. We may not have experienced the same challenges, but we understand the fear, grief, and helplessness it can leave behind.

Maybe that’s the hope I’m trying to hold onto right now.

There are moments when darkness feels all-consuming, and it becomes hard to believe the sun will rise again.

But even when hidden from view, the light remains.

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The raw moments that unfolded before this reflection were captured in Lotus Moments. If you’d like to read them, click here.