Conquering shadows

It is inevitable – at times it seems like sticks and stones and battered bones followed by a couple of sunshine days. There are moments of high and times when we literally feel like we are journeying through the belly of a whale, waiting to see daylight. Personally, I have learnt to throw my hands up and simply let God handle it. 

Throughout the difficult times, there was one passage that kept my heart still. ‘Yet in all these things we are like more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ Romans 8: 37, 38
As children of God, it is a given that there can be nothing that could separate us from the love of God. In Him we have access to life and life in abundance. What I realised is that though life and death and everything else mentioned in the passage quoted cannot separate us from His love; it is fear, doubt, unbelief, unrest and anxiety that blinds us and draws a curtain between us and reality, causing a separation. We end up feeling blindfolded and engulfed in this darkness.

Growing up, I was very scared of shadows. As it got darker in the evening, even the trees looked scary to me. The clouds seemed to take weird shapes in the low light. The feeling is similar when travails of life descends upon us. It is always the shadow of things that perturb us and the irony of it is that the shadow actually grows bigger and more darker as one moves toward the source of light. All I had to do was continue to walk closer to The Light and not be intimidated by the shadow behind me. As long as I’m facing the light, the shadow is always behind me, only trying to catch up. It can never outrun me or overtake me.

I’ve come to accept the fact that there is no easy way around to inherit the greater things of life. But thank God for His unmerited favor, I can just follow the light and hang in there. ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.’

The darkness that once was overpowering now magnifies the light, a ray of hope and life. “Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces” – Psalm 35:4