My "Dark Night of the Soul" Anniversary Season - Be Whole, Mom
This post comes from one of my #coffeewiththeking posts on social media (Facebook & Instagram, namely), which I generally share daily. I hope you will join me in digging into the Word as a source of daily refreshment and guidance as we navigate this world together.
Good morning #coffeewiththeking crowd!
This verse stuck in my mind today as I pondered what to write. This week marks an anniversary for one of the most difficult seasons of my journey: the onset of my son’s auto-immune condition. This time 5 years ago, we were in the hospital where he was tested, poked, prodded, and eventually misdiagnosed. One of the most emotionally tumultuous and devastating seasons of release and realization for me had begun.
But, our Abba was faithful. Through all of my emotional confusion, inconsistency, struggle, terror, anger, sadness, and mourning, He never left me. He offered the empathy of understanding.
[bctt tweet=”Through all of the emotional confusion, inconsistency, struggle, terror, anger, sadness, and mourning, He will never leave you.” via=”no”]
What did His empathy and presence in this season look like? In my experience, there was a lot of silence. Though He spoke little, He was there. Though He quietly listened, He held me tightly and hugged my soul that was aching in its anguish.
Some refer to these seasons as “the Dark Night of the Soul” and some interpret the silence as our Abba having left us, but as anyone who has lovingly offered an ear to listen and a hand to hold for those in the midst of suffering know, there is not much to be said in the greatest of life’s storms.
Sweet sister, if you are in the midst of the silence and you know it is not due to some hidden sin and coveted idol (and there will be many who will assume these things of you, or that you aren’t even a believer due to your questioning and struggle in the depths of such loss and mourning), take heart in this: His silence is not due to His absence; it is due to His wisdom.
Like a good friend in times of sorrow, He is by your side, holding you and being present with you, and there to help in the daily things. But, He cannot take away the necessary struggle, or remove the problem before you. This is a mystery, yet it is Truth. This is the Job season of darkness and silence, yet He never leaves.
Fall into His arms, even in the silence. Seek His presence; it will be known to you. Guidance and direction are not helpful in this season, so remember to simply do the necessary things, and remove all excess.
He is with you.
Shalom.
