2 Samuel 22:29 (NIV) You, Lord, are my Lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.
I start this whole thing off with a visual of God's character that I have really come to love over the last few years (so much so that I want a tiny little lamp/lantern tattoo... that I'll honestly probably never get). Many of us have heard the idea of "being the light" or "being the light in the darkness." I, however, don't often then place that concept on God Himself though. I forget that He would inevitably have to be my source of light in order for me to be light...Taking a step back, closer to the Source, has reminded me that a deeper and more honest relationship with Him will illuminate the darkness around and within me.
I wince a little when I read "my darkness" in this verse, but I remind myself it's true. There are parts of me that don't bring light to others. There are parts of me that condemn, or criticize, or judge or doubt. There are worries and concerns. There are anxieties.
The best way I know how to describe those moments are like when you leave a movie theatre or dimly lit place and you are forced to squint because the light is way too bright. It takes a moment or two, but eventually you adjust. Your eyes begin to focus again. Mine typically water a little, LOL. But if we can just get through the initial moments of "squinting" after we ask His Spirit to expose the parts of ourselves we're not the most proud of (but know they are there), He can start to transform those traits into ones that carry His message of hope and love to not only others, but ourselves.