What
Happened in
the Dark?
Blondie L. Clayton
“This is the
verdict: Light has come into
the world, but people loved
darkness instead of light because their deeds were
evil (John 3:19).”
Children are not
born afraid of the dark unless something happens that make them afraid.
Perhaps
it was someone who frightened them, or the darkness carried the shadow
of
something they dreaded. For years into adulthood I would not sleep in a
room in
total darkness. I didn’t know why. I was scared. Why was I
afraid? What
happened in the dark?
The grandfather I
loved and adored enticed me into dark places, out of the watchful eye
of my
parents and grandmother. It was always at nightfall. My fear was of him
and
what he was doing that didn’t feel good. Yes, it took place in
the dark. The
darkness became the boogie man, or the unidentifiable person/thing
hidden in
the dark.
Was it still
there as an adult? Yes! But I no longer could associate it with the
perpetrator. The abuse stopped but the fear remained. I’ve
mastered the dark. I
can now sleep in a dark room. Yet there are other challenges to master,
which
cause me at times to want to run away, or to crawl into myself like a
turtle
until it passes but I refuse to be
enslaved again.
“No, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans
8:37).”
Where is your
strength? Where do you go when you feel overwhelmed with feelings,
fears?
“There is no fear
in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with
punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
Be Blessed!
For more stories and support, go to The Emotional Healing
Fountain
__________________________________________________
