Talking About Dark Times in Life

A woman named Amanda who had suffered a miscarriage wrote an article in which she described the dark time in her life that resulted from that loss. As the article unfolded, it became clear that it was not really about darkness, but about the light that she found as she dealt with the heavy grief that overtook her.

Here are some of the things she shared. From Genesis 1 she was reminded that God creates, and that what He made on each day of creation was good. This basic truth seemed to serve as ballast for her as she was tossed about by powerful emotions. The life that had been in her womb was given with good intent from God and with good purpose. Genesis 3 teaches that Adam’s fall introduced pain and suffering which were not a part of God’s original plan, and that God could not be blamed for them.

The week she lost the baby she was reading about Noah, and she found that God’s mercy can truly be present in the midst of devastation and loss. She could not answer why she was subjected to such a bitter and painful experience, but the principle about mercy served as an anchor for her soul.

Next she came across the person of Abraham who really wanted a child but flirted with hopelessness. Hebrews 11:10 explains that as Abraham felt empty due to his unfulfilled desire, he learned to “look forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” Amanda realized that in order to be satisfied and fulfilled she needed Jesus and the righteousness He provides, even more than another pregnancy. She wanted to learn to long for God more than anything else. This led her to realize that friendship with God can be deepened through suffering. After all, Jesus was acquainted with sorrows and griefs (Isaiah 53:3). She meditated on how Jesus took all our brokenness so that in heaven we will be whole.

By the time she got to the end of the book of Genesis and was considering the life of Joseph and his losses and grand disappointments, she was struck by a statement that the Lord was with Joseph in his suffering. This assured her that the Lord would supply mercy and strength.

Reading the article I did not get the sense that Amanda was free of all darkness, but that she was supplied enough light for each day. Matthew 4:16 quotes the prophet Isaiah when describing Jesus’ ministry: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” Jesus can dispense with the darkness of ignorance, death, sin, oppression, and enslavement. For those who adopt as a way of life inviting Christ’s light, we gain the freedom to act as we were designed to act without guilt and shame, in wisdom and with divine guidance, and we are set on the path toward joy.