Shadows

Okay, so last night, I was at the Gungor concert at The Father's House here in Rochester.  When Gungor first came on stage, there were no lights on them.  I looked at the electric player and for a moment in time, I got really nervous.  You see, in the shadows, he looked like the shadow-man from Princess and the Frog.  So then for a few moments, I thought about shadows and what they mean.


Shadows can hold many secrets and evil things.  While not always bad, I still have a fear of them.  Because I am afraid of the dark, shadows can have many things in them from animals to evil.  So when I saw the figure of the shadow-man in my head, I instantly thought of evil.  


If you have never seen Princess and the Frog, the shadow-man is a voodoo man who basically has made a deal with the devil. And the shadows that follow him around make sure that he creates evil and they are his "friends on the other side."  


Okay, so back to my point.


Shadows can creep into anything. They can creep into lives, hearts, and even thoughts.  For example, my fear of the dark.  I don't know what is hiding in the shadows. It could be dogs coming to attack me thinking I'm an intruder or it could be something as harmless as a bunny hopping around trying to get back home.  But my mind doesn't go to the animals that are everyday household pets. No, my mind takes me to much darker and scarier things- imaginary monsters that I have created.  


Shadows can live in hearts too.  And they can grow bigger and bigger if we let them.  Shadows can be hurt caused by either ourselves or others, and if we let them fester, they will fester and grow.  That is, unless we shine light into them.  And by light, as I'm sure you have guessed by now, I mean God.  You see, God can make the shadows that have infected your life disappear with just a little light.  And maybe they won't disappear overnight, but the light will make those shadows go away as long as you cling to the Light and allow it to grow brighter and brighter.  


So maybe if the dark is your fear, allowing Light to grow and flourish is a good way of learning that the dark is not so scary after all.  Just a thought.