"Not that I speak in respect of want:
for I have learned,
in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
I know both how to be abased,
and I know how to abound:
every where and in all things I am instructed
both to be full and to be hungry,
both to abound and to suffer need."
Philippians 4:11-12

Inner Light

In Barrow, Alaska, morning takes on a whole new meaning. At 330 miles from the Artic Circle and almost as close to the North Pole, Barrow is the real-life "Land of the Midnight Sun." For 83 days, from May 11 to August 1, the sun never sinks below the horizon.

But there's also the dark side to life at high latitudes. Each year on November 18, residents watch the sun dip below the horizon, the last sunset of the year for more than two months.

While not pitch-black all the time, winter in Barrow is truly a season of darkness. Temperatures dip so low that fuel oil congeals. Keys snap like toothpicks in frozen locks. Windchills near 100 below can cause frostbite in 30 seconds.

The perpetual dark, cold, and wind can seem oppressive to those who take the daily blush of the sun for granted. Residents admit that dreaming of Hawaii is pretty common.

Not everyone wants to leave, though. "Many people here truly like the winter, enjoying the peace and quiet," says Barrow Mayor Jim Vorderstrasse. "A lot of it reflects on a person's outlook on life. You can sit around being depressed, or you can get up and find something worthwhile to do." ~ Reader's Digest

This article reminds me of the seasons of darkness in our lives today. Any one of us can pass through them into the light, depending on our outlook. We can shut ourselves in and yearn for a better life, or we can rely on God's Light to help us find a life of hope and serenity. The choice is always ours.

May God bless you with the Light of His love,
and pull you out of darkened days.
 

"Lord Dictated Them"