“I was up early to meet up with my running buddies for our weekly long run. We ran 8.5 miles this morning and finished up as the sun was rising…” was the text I got from a new friend this morning.  8.5 miles and before the break of dawn I thought to myself?  Running has never been my cup of tea.  My philosophy?  Why run when you can drive?  But this became more about a personal preference of how to get to point A to point B.  What caught my attention was that the sun was rising and more intriguing to me was the running…running in the dark.

One of my favorite things to do is to sit in the quiet darkness of the early morning and watch the sun rise.  Where the light gradually penetrates my eyes first creating shadows illuminating almost imperceptible shapes and then giving away to a rainbow of gold and yellow hues against a brilliant sky of blue.  The artistry  of God as His expression of life emerging.

We have no problem talking about the light but the darkness is a place that  rarely explore.  We avoid it we may even fear it but this was not the case before we were born.  Dark in our mother womb yet safe, warm, and fed with all our needs supplied.  When did being scared of the dark and the boogie man arrive on the scene?  Different moments for all of us I’m sure but regardless of that specific time of discovery eventually we find that “night light” that gives us a sense of comfort and well being.  There are two kinds of light.  The light that shines from without and the light that shines from within.  Our friends are those lights that shine from without on us and we on them.  If we can shine on others why can we not shine on ourselves?  Not spotlight ourselves for fame, fortune or attention but simply enough light to guide our way.  We don’t have to be a blinding beacon but we do need to believe in our friends who see the light in us even when we cannot.  We can’t see the wind but we can feel that it exist.

One of my favorite movies of all time is Heaven Can Wait starring Warren Beatty (as Joe Pendleton) and Julie Christie (as Betty Logan.)  I the last scene of the movie the lights in the football stadium go out as Joe and Betty are exiting the locker room.  The following dialog follows;

Betty-What’s that? (lights go out)
Joe-They’re just closing up the place.
        Here, give me your hand.
        There’s nothing to be afraid of.
Betty-What did you say?
Joe-What?
Betty-Just there when you said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of” your voice sounded so familiar.

When we have those moments of darkness in life we all need a friend and be a friend that says, “There’s nothing to be afraid of” because there is nothing to be afraid of.  Each day the earth revolves take us from dark to light and thinks nothing of it.  It’s time to realize that we all should be Coming out of the Dark.

Thank you to Ann for the inspiration.

Coming out of the Dark
by Gloria Estefan

Why be afraid if I’m not alone
Though life is never easy the rest is unknown
Up to now for me it’s been hands against stone
Spent each and every moment
Searching for what to believe

Coming out of the dark, I finally see the light now
It’s shining on me
Coming out of the dark I know the love that saved me
You’re sharing with me

Starting again is part of the plan
And I’ll be so much stronger holding your hand
Step by step I’ll make it through I know I can
It may not make it easier but I have felt you
Near all the way

Coming out of the dark, I finally see the light now
And it’s shining on me (I see the light, I see the light)
See the light (I see the light)
Coming out of the dark I know the love that saved me
You’re sharing with me

I stand on the rock of your love
(Forever and ever)
Can’t nobody stop me from watching
(Forever, and ever) I stand on the rock of your love
Love is all it takes, no matter what we face

coming out of the dark
I see the light, I feel love shinning on me (shining, shining)
Shining on me
Coming out of the dark I know the love that saved me
You’re sharing, you’re sharing with me, sharing with me, sharing with me

Coming out of the dark
Making it into the light
Your love shining on me, shining on me, shining on me
Coming out of the dark
I see the light, I see the light (I see the light)
Shining, shining, shining on me
(Shining, shining)
Coming out of the dark
I see the light now
Yes I see the light (shining, shining)