But God…

What happens when the life you dreamt about doesn’t happen? When you are left wondering what went wrong or how you ended up in this place to begin with. Well-intended sentiments such as “there’s a light at the end of the tunnel” are said to you, paving the way for an out to an uncomfortable conversation.

Where is the light? I am guessing that is what most of us want to know, also, am I going to make it to the end of the tunnel? These two questions live in our heads rent free, but what if I told you that you didn’t have to get to the end of something to receive the light? That “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

The promise of overcoming amid darkness far outweighs the feeble notion that you must make it to the end to receive whatever goodness is in store. The power of overcoming in the pitch black as fear races through your veins is far more triumph than slugging through the darkness in hopes of a silver of light.  “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.” That is the incredible thing about Jesus, He works while we are still in the darkness “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” We don’t have to reach the light at the end to have victory in the tunnel, we can be in darkness and have the light within us. All the questions, our sin and shame; in realizing this is not the life we had planned yet we can still say “But God” because we can walk into His marvelous light, even when we don’t know what that holds for us next.

But God…

We all have our doubts, sometimes the darkness is so consuming and terrifying. It mocks us with its all-encompassing weight; sometimes driving us back or pulling us down, but we can remember the promise we are called to through Jesus “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.” So even when our lives are not going as planned or we wish we could undo the hurt, Jesus has already done that for us. He sees us and knows us; He is the Light, the One shining in the tunnel, walking beside you, carrying you through even when the water is rising in whatever tunnel you find yourself in.

We weren’t meant to live in a sinful broken world alone. Even when the night seems hopeless, and your faith is weak the only words you will need to keep going is…but God. Sometimes the end of the tunnel wasn’t the main goal anyway, sometimes it is who we become in the middle of the darkness so that when we do make it to the other side we can say, but God and give Him all the glory and honor He deserves because the darkness was not what overcame in the end.

** *Psalm 112:4, Romans 5:8 1st Thessalonians 5:5