Hi First name / friend,
I don't know that there is any way, in fact I know, that one cannot journey through mortality without coming face to face with darkness at some point—likely at many points. And it's scary every time, isn't it? It feels like it should get easier, but it seems the darkness is a little bit different each time, challenging us in a new way, exposing the parts of us that are weary and broken, unsure and unsteady.
What else do we know about darkness though? We know it's weakness. We know that “darkness must always surrender to even the faintest light.” Even the faintest. That tired, teary prayer you uttered as your last hope. That general conference talk you have on in the background as you get the kids ready for school. That patience you offered to the overwhelmed woman behind the counter. That 5 minute study, that walk around the temple grounds, that smile at a new neighbor—it's ALL light. And it's ALL enough to “conquer the darkness that otherwise would surround us.”
I particularly loved Elder Dyches' story about His grandpa and Old Prince. Lost in a winter's storm, praying for God's help, the old horse eventually lead him home. But it wasn't until he retraced the horse's tracks in the morning sun that he understood the danger he avoided and the miracle it was that he was safe at home.
Sometimes the darkness lingers for more than just a moment and we are asked to walk several miles into the unknown and unseen. But God is still there. His light is still within us—guiding, comforting, and illuminating so long as we trust and move forward with all the faith we can muster—even the faintest light.
It may not feel like a lightbulb is suddenly turned on and all is made well and perfect, but every "drop of sunshine" we gather will carry us through the storms. Catch every ray of light you can and darkness will never overtake you.
xo,
Rio
