I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).
We hold our breath. We close our eyes and listen. Our hearts strain and lean in.
We taste it, salty between our teeth. We feel the shadows deepen all around us. The chill wants to chase down our necks and into our spines, then freeze our hearts with fear.
But on such a dark night, in such a lost village, came the Emmanuel. A star shone over a weary world. Under the hand of a cruel tyrant, a crushed people looked up and saw light. They gasped in hope and looked up into the light.
We hold this light, this hope, in our hands. While this world creaks and groans, we know a new creation is coming.
The glory of the Lord is the Light within our messy midst.
The Light shines brighter in the night because of the deep darkness.
Hope, in our deepest moments of despair, becomes tangible.
Light, when grief has enveloped us and ripped our breath away — well, this Light carries us.
Emmanuel, God is with us.
But this Light is not waiting to till morning.
This Light is not holding out till we become perfect.
This Light is with us before we awake in His likeness.
This is hope.
This is the Light that conquers darkness.
This is love that overcomes hate.
His name is Emmanuel.
God with us.
About the author: Melissa Troyer is a stay at home mom with five beautiful children who keep her busy and constantly remind her to get down on her knees, both to laugh with them and to pray for them. Melissa is happily married to the love of her life, Daniel, who is currently studying full time to become a Physician's Assistant.
Melissa has learned to lean against the Father in seasons of loss and to dance through the dust in times where hope is renewed. She is passionate about worshipping in each season and often finds herself weaving words encouraging others to do the same. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook. You can find more of her writing on her blog, listed below
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