“Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and Wait….”
How many times has this refrain whispered in our ears over the past 19 years?
We Waited through a two-year engagement before experiencing the joy of marriage. A decade of infertility followed as we endured 10 losses to miscarriage and unsuccessful adoption attempts. Then came the bitter surprise of post-partum depression.
Entering our 20th year of living with chronic illness, we’re still Waiting and looking for answers to my daily pain and ongoing loss of abilities.
Have you ever heard someone describe a time of trial as, “living under the shadow of [xyz]”? Plug in some “xyz”s of your own here; maybe cancer, abuse, loneliness…
Job and the Psalmist talk of “the valley of the shadow of death.” Shadows impress a dark picture of gloom and heaviness in my mind.
Hope demands I give shadows another look. God paints shadows in a positive light many times through His Word.
The Psalms sing repeatedly of “taking refuge under the shadow of His wing,” or “resting in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Hebrews describes the best of this life (the Lord’s Sanctuary and the Law) as a foretaste, a copy, a shadow of what is to come in Heaven. To God, shadows offer protection and glimmer with Hope.
It took our 2-year-old to really illustrate this point to me:
“Where my shadow go, Mommy?”
“Your shadow is sleeping, Sweetheart. It’s dark because it’s nighttime, but we just need to get you to the potty now. You did a great job waking up to keep your pants dry, so let’s get there quick!”
As we reached the restroom I flipped on the light.
“There my shadow are now Mommy! Thank you Mommy!!!”
He danced a happy jig (almost having an “accident” in the process), all signs of sleepiness erased from his glowing face.
Long after our sweet son was soundly sleeping once again, I lay awake reflecting on the pure joy he found in shadows. While I tried to escapee shadows, he saw them as treasures.
I asked the Lord for strength to see my troubles through more childlike eyes that could delight in, and even thank Him for, the imprints they cast over my life. It was then that I realized that shadows are merely evidenced by light.
What Hope! The more deeply I feel the weight of a shadow fall across my path, the more powerful the source of Light that contrasts with that shadow.
I too often fixate on darkness rather than finding courage to stand in shadows because of the Light flooding around me. Being “helpless” to change my circumstances does not need to equal “hopeless” despair.
Hope can thrive in shadows because of the steady, unshakeable, unmoving Hand of Grace holding me in the light of His love. When trials threaten to overshadow me, I can rest in the refuge of the shadow of His wing.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.- Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)
If you would like to be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of Jennifer Saake’s book, Hannah’s Hope: Seeking God’s Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage & Adoption Loss, please leave a comment by midnight on Monday.
Visit Jenni’s blog for more resources to give you hope in your journey.
by Jenni Saake InfertilityMom
One of my favorite lines from a great Switchfoot song is “The shadow proves the sunshine”…your post was yet another reminder of that truth. Awesomeness!
i LOVE jennifer saake!!!
her words help me to hope.
Thanks so much for a great post!
Blessings!
I love this post on hope. I needed to read that today. I’d love to win a copy of the book! 🙂
I’d love to win a copy to give to my sister who is struggling with all of this.
I am amazed at how God uses our children to teach us things. It’s actually quite humbling, if we are receptive to the teaching, to think that a child is to be taken care of by a parent but really, looking at it spiritually, they are taking care of us.
smooches,
Larie
thank you for sharing…. it helps me to see my situation in GOD’s light.
I have just come through a very dark valley… there was a humongous cloud following me like Eeyore…. but I knew that the Light was there with me always and once again He has proved HImself faithful….this is a wonderful story of hope and I would love to read it all… God bless you!!!!
I would love to have a copy of her book. We have gone through infertility, secondary infertility, miscarriage, then back to secondary infertility. I could use some words by someone who has been there.
We too have experienced infertility, adoption loss and miscarriage … but also JOY. I would love to read her book as well.
I would love to read this book. My husband and I are also going through infertility.
Thanks for all the encouragement here!
This seems like it would be a great book to read for myself but also a great resource as I minister to others…family and friends.
I appreciate all the encouraging posts that you have had. Thanks!
Resting in God’s refuge…a great reminder to me. I too easily forget it.
Thank you for sharing! I have just spent 2 hours with a friend whose life is currently in the midst of many shadows and I was wondering what to do, what to say, how to pray. This post has encouraged me to stand with her in hope because of whom we have placed our hope in, God our refuge; our light.
Thank you for a new outlook when faced with shadows in our lives! What a beautiful thing!
Wow! What a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Ditto! It was what I needed to hear on so many levels. I am feeling down today—-overwhelmed that the Lord has decided that there are many situations I need to “deal with” in my life right now. I am weary as I feel like we have walked through Valleys for so many years and I simply do not want to deal with these things right now. I was just seeing the light at the end of a long tunnel as far as familial situations and life choices. Finally feeling free of many burdens and yet now, he knows that I need to “deal” with more situations. I want to trust Him—I want to walk knowing the Light controls the shadows! I NEEDED to hear this truth today so badly. thank you.
And please, if my name were to somehow come as the winner of your book, I would ask that you pass it on to another sister—I have had many looses in my life but I have never had the traumatic loos of a child so I would want someone who has walked that walk to be blessed! TIA. Blessings :0).
* When trials threaten to overshadow me, I can rest in the refuge of the shadow of His wing.*
I am going to put that on paper on a frame on my desk with your name. Just thinking it gives me comfort. Thank you.
The Switchfoot song came to mind…”The Shadow Proves the Sunshine”. My daughter loved that song and said it meant so much to her in Botswana where the shadows were prominent and long. And where God proved himself over and over again to a group of teenagers.
I would love to read the book.
Awesome! I feel like I’ve been living under a “shadow” of my own and this really did give me hope today…a day that I needed some.
Thank You!
I am learning this lesson. Day.by.day. Thank you for the reminder. Every trial is a trophy of the power of Jesus. Every one.
Wow that was really beautiful.
What Hope! The more deeply I feel the weight of a shadow fall across my path, the more powerful the source of Light that contrasts with that shadow.
The thickness of the shadow is equivalent with the strength of the light cast down.
God Bless your beautiful heart
Wow! What a beautiful, (in)couraging site you have.
How blessed I am to have found it, and honored to share the link with my readers.
Thank you each of you who contribute –
Terri Conrad
Terri Conrad Designs
That was so awesome, I’m passing this one on as so many people need this kind of message of HOPE, Thank you so much. deb
What beautiful and powerful thoughts. Please include me in the chance to win the book. I would love to give it to my daughter. Thank you.
I would love to read this book, we have all suffered loss and reading how people have overcome is so inspiring
Oh, this is exactly what I needed to hear. I would love a copy of the book as we just experienced our third miscarriage in 11 years. We do have one beautiful son here (horrible pregnancy, he’s a miracle baby), but would love to give him a sibling somehow.
Thank you!
This book would so speak to my best friend. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
What a great insight into “shadows”!! Thank you!
Powerful words, and helpful to remember that Christ has turned everything on it’s head, the poor are made rich, the shadows will be turned to light. Thank you for your words today.
I’ve been through lots of fertility treatments and experienced post-partum depression.
Thank you for sharing your heart! I know it connects sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many of us especially right now in our world! I too am waiting for Him to totally release me from the “prison of pain” I have been in! I am usually in the waiting. That is just one thing I am waiting for and yet, I am learning to wait with Him, on Him and for Him. Would love to win the book, but KNOW the one who needs it most will receive the gift and blessings of hope to them!Thank you for offering us the chance.
Blessings back to you!
I would love to win the book! I constantly have my nose in a book, and it would be so fulfilling to read something that I could open my eyes to something more important.
I would love a chance to win Jenni’s book, but am also so grateful to have just read this article. I am struggling in the shadows right now, trying to deal with my own illness while being the only caregiver for my mother. Thank you for the reminder that God is always at work, especially in the shadows and that I am not alone!
God Bless you!
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