We grasp tightly onto the knot at the end of our rope, almost at the end of our hope. Our hands, our fingers, are stiff and sore. Our arms shake from holding on so tightly for so long. Every fiber of who we believe we are is focused on not letting go.
We wait, seemingly beyond hope, in the darkness.
We will not be able to hold on much longer. We are not able to save ourselves. There is only one thing remaining within our power. As the rope that holds us safe is slipping from our fingers, we pray.
Ours is not a prayer of fancy words or intricate thinking. We do not pray as we think we should, we pray as we need to pray. We pray beyond words, with whimpering, with screams. Our prayer gives voice to the fears which terrorize us, the pain which puts us in agony. We pray as our grip fails and we feel ourselves falling.
As we pray and sob, and begin to fall, we start to see light in the darkness.
Our prayer appears to light a candle in the darkness, but that is only part of the truth. We have been paying so much attention to holding on we have ignored the light in us. We have been concentrating so much effort on the darkness we have ignored the light.
We begin to see light in new ways. We recognize the light is welcoming us as much, or more, as we welcome it. The light of our candle glows around us.
We realize we are not falling. We are soaring.
Where is the light welcoming you right now?
How will you be welcomed by the light of spiritual life this week, and this new year?
[Image by Brendan J Ross]
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