I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. – Psalm 3:5-6

May never seemed to end. Julia rolled over and pulled the covers over her head. Her hand slid across the mattress. He was gone. A sigh of relief went through her. Once again, her husband had not come home. For some, that would have been terror in its worst form, but for Julia, it was a relief. There would be no drunken man to beat her down. She laid her arm across her eyes as a tear seeped from under her elbow. Lord, if I can just open the blinds to see the sun, then I know, I can make it through another day. I need the strength to open the shades.

She lifted her hand and grasped hold of the cord, then she slowly pulled open the shade. It must have weighed a ton, but how could it? It was a window shade. The blinds lifted slightly and a streak of sunlight popped through the crack. The tiny ray of sun struck Julia in the eyes causing her to squint; still, it warmed her cheeks. She felt as though she was gaining some sort of super power. Her skin tingled, and a chill shot up her spine. She pulled the shade another inch and the light of the sun engulfed her face. Stretching her arms over her head, she felt a smile creep across her lips. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. She rolled to her knees and grasping the cord once more, lifted the shade until the sun filled the room completely. Once again, God had answered her prayer. She was able to see the sun through a life filled with darkness.

Sometimes our lives become a darkened room. The weight of the blackness alone presses down on our souls, taking hold of us and drawing any hope from our veins. This darkness pulls our strength away and replaces it with hopelessness. We can’t see the rope that offers us escape.

This is when we muster every ounce of power to grasp hold of the cord and pull open the shade. Light only requires e a tiny crack in order to flood through; and “flood” is exactly how it happens. Our Father is our light in the darkness. He is the one who will sustain us when we are surrounded from every side, but only we can lift the shade just enough to allow Him to flood through.

When life feels hopeless, when we are so tired we can hardly lift an arm, Christ stands behind the shade encouraging us to gather the strength to pull on the cord. He wants to warm us, fill us with peace and comfort so He can change us. We are the only ones who can roll to our knees and pull the shade open. Muster the strength. Reach for the cord and pull.

Prayer: Almighty and powerful God, flood our souls with your warmth.