Sunlight in December

I absolutely love the way rays of sunlight peak through the clouds after a rainstorm. I’m a So Cal girl, so rain has been a novelty in my life, but whenever it comes I look forward to the spectacular view after the storm. I love the picture of the light bursting through the darkness and shining down upon the earth below. It always looks as if the heavens have opened and as if love and warmth are being poured down. To me, it looks like hope.

Last winter was cold. I don’t remember the temperatures, the weather, or really much about that entire season. Looking back, most of it is blurry and hard to recall. But I do remember the cold—perhaps not a physical coolness, but an overall feeling of coldness. The earth felt cold. The sky looked cold. The world was cold.

The trees were finally stripped bare of their leaves, after weeks of drifting to the ground like tears. Questions, confusion, and defeat whirled around me like harsh winter winds, as I struggled to stand beneath the force of it all.

Yet even in the coldest winter, the sun continued to rise each day and warm the earth. Rays of sunlight stretched across the sky each morning, and served as a reminder of God’s continual grace and mercy in my life.  Sunlight pierced through the cold and the darkness daily, despite the coldness of winter.

Even when the storm rages on, the sun will shine. Even when the winds howl, the earth is barren, and the world feels so cold, the sun continues to shine. There is still sunlight in December. There is joy coming. There is hope because of Christ.

Even when my heart feels heavy. Even when the worries of the world try to capture my heart. Even when I feel so empty and barren. The joy of the Lord pierces through the darkness and warms my heart.  

John 1:5  "Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."

Psalm 30:5b “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
 all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

*Fun Fact: When I was in college, I started a blog called Sunshine in December. I can’t help but think about how perfect that choice was. At the time, I had no idea how fitting the name would become—I simply liked how hopeful it sounded (and I am one of the “lucky” ones with a December birthday). Since then, the Sunshine in December domain had been snatched up, which lead me here to my new home at Sunlight in December.