The Light Dispels Darkness

Chapter 13

“LIGHT DISPELS DARKNESS”

If you allow light into your darkness it can change the way you see things forever.

Let me tell you a story of how light dispelled darkness and changed the life of several trapped miners forever.   Coal is mined in many parts of the world and miners will tell you that there is nothing to compare with the darkness in the shaft of a coal mine when light is not available.

A mining disaster took place in a small community in eastern Canada were several men were trapped a couple of thousand feet below the surface.    By the end of the first week, their hope was almost completely gone, they had little or no food and their water had run out.  It was reported that in the desperation for moisture they drank the own urn.  There were no signs of hope for them ever being found after the first 12 days of their nightmare.

Miners took with them extra food in their lunch can when they went to work in the mine to feed the pit rats who roamed on the different levels.  The food keep the rats from bothering the miners as they worked thought-out the day.  After the disaster happened and most of the mine had collapsed they not only found themselves trapped, many of the rats were trapped with them.  The trapped miners could no longer afford to feed the rats but realized they needed to conserve whatever food they had for as long as they could.  The rats, being hungry became restless and the miners now without light of any kind could no longer see them but could feel them as they ran over their legs or as they tried nibbling at their hands in the dark.   Without food, water and light, the mines darkness was darker than anything they had ever experienced, and at times the fear was overwhelming.  One of the miners known as the singing miner began to sing Christian hymns.  The singing gave the men moments of relief.  It was in one of those moments that one miner lifted his head in praise to God and to his astonishment rubbed his eyes.  There in the distance he could see a pin head glimmer of light through the darkness.  Crawling on hands and knees towards it, he ran into a wall of fallen rock.  His eye still fixed on the glimmer.  It was light and it was coming through the wall.  As he scratched and moved rock with his hand the light grew bit by bit and the darkness was dispelled, all the trapped miners were rescued that day.  They were alive again and living with hope.  It was if the Light of the world have come to them dispelling their darkness and fear.

Darkness can no longer completely occupy space in your life if you allow the light of awareness to enter in.  When you experience an epiphany of light, of awareness, even if it is only the size of a pin head, you can never be the same again.   If you can expose the darkness in your life to someone whom you trust the past cannot completely control you any longer and change will come to claim its rightful place in your life.  It may not happen in a moment for you, so, be patient.   As you shed more of your darkness more light will come.

I had and to some extent still have darkness to deal with in my own life.   As I matured into a young adult some of my close friends and family would say to me, “You really look like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders Sim, you should see someone about that before it takes over your life.  Reluctantly but after a near death experience in my early 30’s I went looking for someone to help me out.  It wasn't too long after that my friends and family started telling me that I was looking better, seemed more positive, more cheerful, content and my middle name “TROUBLE” didn't seem fitting any longer.   All of a sudden people began to say things like: "Sim, you’re looking a lot better these days, what’s up, what are you on, who are you hanging out with anyway."   I'd just say that I had meet a man who seemed to able to look straight through me.  He put out his open hands in front of me and said “give me just one small thing that is weighting heavy on your heart Sim.  Place it right here in my open hands and while I am holding it for you, I guarantee that you will begin to feel a bit better.”  At first I was reluctant too, but one day I found the courage to do it and guess what?  He was right and so every time I would go to him, I’d give him a little more of my darkness and every time I would feel a bit lighter.    Little by little I am learning to let this man hold my darkness for me and allow his awareness and light to shine through me.   Oh there are times when I still slip back into old patterns of thinking and doing but even if I do, it only lasts for very short periods of time.   
Let me tell you a biblical story to illustrate.    

There is a story in the New Testament, Mark 10:50-52 where Jesus comes to man borne blind.  Being blind from birth,he would not have known the light of day, so he could only imagine how things might look if he could see.  Jesus cures his blindness and all of a sudden he can see.  Remember this man was born blind so he is seeing everything for the first time.  What he now sees may look completely different from what he imagined in his mind’s eye.  What we are not told in the story is this:  that even though his darkness was lifted, being born blind he probably would not be able to recognize or label his surroundings.  Therefore to feel normal, he may have had to cover his eyes producing temporary blindness in order to find his way home.   

This also happens with enlightenment and awareness when it comes to the darkness that plagues our lives.  Even though we may have had an epiphany where light has come into your life, you may, in an effort to feel normal seek reach out to your darkness temporarily but it won't last long.  

I call this my stinky blanket syndrome.   Many children have something they cling to as a baby.  No one knows for sure why, it is just that they picked that certain blanket, plush toy, piece of cloth, whatever and it gives them a sense of security, comfort or familiarity.   I will use a blanket to illustrate this because it can completely cover you.  You can curl up in it and hide away.  Almost like returning to that quite secure place like the womb once held for you.   This blanket gets pretty smelly and dirty at times and the mother wants to wash it.  Some mothers find it difficult to get the blanket from the child.    Once the child gets it back they will go right back to covering themselves wanting the familiar smells to return.    For some strange reason darkness holds a similar syndrome and can play itself out in many adult lives.  Many just cannot let go of those things they find comfort in even if it is smothering or steeling away their lives.  We get a strange comfort from the familiar, even if it is a stinky old miserable life.  Pain and suffering can work the same if it becomes our security blanket.   It’s easier for some to just live in and with it, than to change.  Many will continue to choose darkness over light, even though they are aware.    For many it is much easier to continue in difficult dark circumstances than to make the changes necessary to live a different kind of life.   

Here we must begin to realize that darkness, no matter how dark it is or how it came into in our lives can only be dispelled by letting in some light.    Darkness has no power over light and as light comes upon darkness it actually pushes the darkness out.  We all know that the moment you shine a light into a dark room some of the darkness will be dispelled.  If you shine enough light upon the spirits of darkness, fear, anxiety, loneliness, depression, or anything that breeds darkness, darkness loses it power over you and that spirit will eventually get discouraged and leave you.   

There will still be a great deal of work to do on your part to leave your darkness behind.  There are many things you will have to relearn.

 Next Time:  WHICH NATURE DO YOU FEED THE MOST