Treasures from Life’s Darkness by Sandi Somers

“Even in darkness light dawns for the upright.”

(Psalm 112:4a NIV)

“Fall is a time when old leaves are shed and trees are left bare for a while. In another season the trees will sprout new leaves again. In much the same way, we sometimes need to shed old ways in order to prepare us for new beginnings. These seasons leave us feeling bare and vulnerable, yet these times are necessary in order for the new ways to sprout.” 

I remember these words that came from a former InScribe member, Melanie Fischer. She touched on a topic we can all relate to: the unproductive times, the sometimes agonizing, soul-searching times in our lives. 

Several years ago I faced a major winter season (both literally and symbolically). I was exhausted from an overly-busy summer, then my sister Karen passed away. We knew her time to meet the Lord was coming but didn’t expect it so soon. I didn’t have time to grieve before going on a mission trip to Bolivia. It was a complex trip—a delayed flight in Dallas-Fort Worth caused us to miss our connecting flight in Chile. Baggage left behind caused an extra delay. And so our time helping Quechua villagers high in the oxygen-depleted Andes Mountains was abbreviated. 

Shortly after returning home while driving at dusk, I hit a deer. Although I received no injuries, my car was a write-off—and the unfortunate deer lost its life. 

All this left me physically and emotionally depleted. Writing was difficult and I couldn’t complete most of the items I had planned to submit. I faced the questions that had been niggling in my mind for some time: Did this mean THE END for my writing? And more importantly, did God actually want me to write? 

God brought across my path the exact meditation to answer my questions. In her book, An Artist’s Book of Inspiration, author Astrid Fitzgerald wrote, “There are times when artists have to go backstage…This withdrawal is no small thing and takes great courage and integrity. The fear of ‘losing the edge,’ of never working again can be very frightening. There is a sense of doubt and loss…” Yet these unproductive times are times to rest, reflect, and gather spiritual and emotional strength.[i] 

Looking back now, I see that God graciously provided the gift of time to grieve, to rest and heal. To meditate on His Word. To trust Him for all I didn’t understand. To give me a deeper understanding of His sovereignty and care in all the events that happened. “(God) renews my strength” the Psalmist said (Psalm 23:3, NLT). He spoke encouragement, peace and promise, new treasures in the darkness of that winter. 

God also infused me with confidence that He was renewing my writing and preparing me for something new. This time did not mean THE END. He gave me a promise, “Is there yet any seed left in the barn?...From this day on I will bless you” (Haggai 2:19 NIV). The Spirit also softly whispered to me, “I will show you the way.” 

And God did show me the way. He rekindled my desire to write. The next summer I felt as though my writing took a great leap as new ideas began to flow—words that brought a deeper message of peace and a more beautiful reflection of Christ’s work in me that would touch the lives of my readers. 

PS. And on this Thanksgiving Day, let us be grateful for God’s presence with us, for sending Jesus to die so that we may live, His many blessings, and more.

[i]Astrid Fitzgerald, Compiler and Editor, (An Artist’s Book of Inspiration, New York: Lindisfarne Books, 1996), xiv.

Sandi Somers’ writing passion is to help readers grow their faith in Jesus, including their vision of what God wants them to be and do. She writes of her love of nature, gardening, travel, and family in several genres—devotionals, personal essays, and Biblical fiction. She has recently published her first book, Divine Encounters: 21 Stories of God’s Miraculous Ways.

Sandi lives in Calgary, Alberta, the delightful city between the Rocky Mountains and the Prairies. 

(Top) Photo by Sandi Somers

How Does God Refresh You? By Sandi Somers

Our theme this month focuses on how profoundly we need God’s refreshment, especially when winter is still with us. We’re tired of the cold and snow. Or we’re exhausted after extended demands. Some days it seems as though our spirits are caught in a deep freeze. Our resources become depleted and we long for the warm breath of God to renew our faith and creative endeavours.

As I was preparing this blog in mid-January, much of Western Canada experienced a deep freeze when temperatures dipped to lows we hadn't seen in years. (Alberta’s record low was -47.) Even the penguins at the Calgary zoo couldn’t handle the cold weather!

Calgary in -30 weather

 I thought of the many times when life has hit me like a winter blizzard. I became overextended or exhausted with health needs, disturbed through grief, or simply downcast and anxious. I needed God’s refreshment.  

Two of our bloggers in January chose words of the year that reflected on rest and refreshment. Alan Anderson’s “Rest” resonated with many readers, judging by the number of comments he received. Pam Mytroen chose “Renewal”. How much she needed God to breathe His life into her and renew her mind, body and spirit! Her renewal is not a search for what to do but who to be. (Both these blogs are worth a wonderful reread!)

What does God say to us during these times? God knows we don't have unlimited resources. He knows we need respite, even when we don’t always realize how critical our need is until we're totally worn out. He comes to us with the gentle touch of Himself, like the welcome Chinook winds blowing into Southern Alberta.

In January, within four days of our frigid weather, Chinook winds wafted over the Rocky Mountains, bringing above freezing temperatures. We shed our heaviest coats and mitts, came out of hibernation, visited neighbours, caught up with our shopping, and said how glad we were for warm weather.

Chinook Arch cloud formation

When Chinooks arrive, I love being outside. The air from the low-pressure system carries sounds clearly. I feel as well as hear the children’s clear voices on the outdoor hockey rink, their skates swishing, their hockey sticks ringing against pucks. I hear trains in the distance the way I can’t during storm systems. I even feel the release of pressure on my body.

Like Chinooks, God refreshes our spirits. He has tenderly brought words of promise in my times of chaos. "He restores my soul”, David wrote. (Psalm 23:3). Jesus promised, "Come to me and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). God also promises: “I restore the crushed spirit” (Isaiah 57:15). “I refresh my weary inheritance” (Psalm 68:9).

God also comes with the gentle breeze of His presence. The seventeenth-century monk, Brother Lawrence, thought of God in the present moment. His example reminds me to focus my thoughts back to God in praise and gratitude, whose “mercies are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

God brings the gentle breezes of His larger purpose. We may not see this purpose until, well after the crisis, we understand it in hindsight. But we can be sure God has one. “My ways are higher than your ways,” the prophet Isaiah said (55:8-9).

God brings a gentle breeze of His perspective and balance as we reflect on His providential ordering of events. And we know that, as we receive God's strength, we will emerge with stronger faith.

~ ~ ~

God has many creative ways to bring us healing and restoration. Our writers this month will give their perspectives and counsel and will demonstrate how God inspires us to see His redemptive purposes from our winter darkness.

And you? How has God’s gentle breeze brought refreshment to you? How does God restore you, your spirits and/or your writing?

Press into the Lord and claim His peace, His renewal and healing.