In the Shadows

 

I always look forward to passing this house on my walks during the weeks of Spring. The homeowner chose to dedicate part of their lawn to wildflowers. A bold move, and one I enjoy each year.

On this particular afternoon, I happened to pass by as the shadows of sunset fell upon the blue bonnets. I was struck by the two level contrast. On one level there was the sharp line between the manicured lawn and the wildflowers. And, due to the perfect timing of my passing, there was the contrast between shadow and light.

It seems to me that this image captures the nature of life fairly well. Life is not all sunshine, nor is it all shadow. Even in the shadow, the beauty remains. We may not see it as clearly, or at times we may not see it at all, but the blue bonnets still bloom. Then the earth turns again and the light returns.

When we are in the shadow, it is easy to forget that the light will shine again. Call it faith, call it hope, call it optimism; whatever we call it we need to remember that shadows fall because the world continues to turn, not because life has stopped. Don’t give up.

John writes, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Peace.