Out of Darkness
The sun was bright that
morning. It was a beautiful day to go out, pull
a few weeds and enjoy the fresh scents of iris
and roses stirring in the air. I remember the
chirping of one particular little bird. He made
himself known among all the rest. I also
remember thinking how happy he sounded, and how
happy it made me feel to hear his praises
ringing.
As I often do when pulling grass and weeds, I
allowed my thoughts to turn towards friends, and
family. A dear friend of mine lost her husband a
couple of years ago. After moving back to her
home state, she met an old co-worker of her
deceased husband’s. Renewing their friendship
over lunches and drives to the mountains, they
soon realized their relationship had grown quite
serious, and he asked her to marry him. Wedding
bells ringing, I thought how nice it would be if
I could attend her wedding.
I found some flowers in need of transplanting
but decided it would have to wait for another
day. Making a mental note, I moved on to the
barns to clear grass from the few iris and
yuccas I had planted the year before.
Catching a glimpse of a purple martin in flight,
I pulled my work gloves off and stood in awe as
it made dips and circles in the air with such
grace and ease.
Moments passed too quickly. I remember thinking
as I walked back to the house, “I am blessed to
live in the country and have the opportunities
to enjoy the wildlife, the wildflowers growing
in the fields, and to hear the sounds of coyotes
howling during the dusk hours.” Most of all, I
was thankful for the peace and love God placed
in my heart.
Once in the house, I decided to make a quick
check of emails. Most were forwards from friends
who had found a special site to share, a couple
of business mails, and then I saw one
more…..there was no greeting or salutations,
obviously, this person wanted to get right to
the point. I read the message. My mind whirled
as if caught up in a tornado and debris flew
from many directions all at one time.
Shock and disbelief would not begin to describe
the emotions stirring in my heart. The venomous
mail reeked of hatred and accusations. I closed
the mail but the pain was more than I could
bear. Tears formed as a dam about to break. I
don’t know how long I sat there staring into the
screen trying to understand how or why someone
would write something so evil and hurting. But
there it was, staring back at me.
Exhausted from the shock and buckets of tears I
had shed, I finally called out to my Father.
“Lord, show me what I have done to cause this,
if anything.” “Reveal the hidden things in my
heart that I may not even be aware of.” I
continued in prayer. The birds suddenly seemed
silent. Although the sun still shinned, there
was a dark cloud hanging over head, yet I new
that I was not alone.
I thought of the times Jesus had cried out to
our Father in prayer. How many times he must
have shed tears for those he loved. Yet he knew
every prayer lifted to heaven was heard; and he
knew nothing went unnoticed by God.
In the stillness of those moments, sweet peace
enveloped me and I knew that this was not about
me….that it was a cry for help. A plea to take a
moment to pray for someone hurting…..hurting so
much they lashed out at someone close to them,
yet they knew prayer and help was on the way.
I’ve heard it said, we often hurt the ones who
love us most. I wish I could say that I have
seen the results of my prayers. I can’t. This
one thing I do know. God is still on the throne,
he has heard my prayers, and the answer is on
the way. I will hold fast to that promise.
Marie Williams
Website
"Lord Dictated
Them"
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