Shadows

As I was eating lunch today I watched the shadows out my backdoor. My deck and backyard were bathed in beautiful sunlight. The trail behind my house was sunny and bright. But just beyond the trail was shaded and in a shadow. I know this is not the first time that I have seen shadow and sun juxtaposed next to each other. But as I watched the shadow today dissipate as the cloud moved ever so slightly and the area that had once been shaded become light, I reflected not only on the post written by friend, Jessica, but also my own life. The shadow and light became a metaphor for life.

On first impulse I thought about the shadow and light being like the old saying: "the light at the end of the tunnel". But I realized that it wasn't quite the same. I thought about my experience biking through a mile-long tunnel on the Hiawatha trail. When in that tunnel it was so dark that I really focused solely on the pinprick of light far in the distance. It was so dark that I couldn't really tell how others in the tunnel were doing. I just kept moving cautiously forward toward the light. And all the while everyone in the tunnel was communicating, encouraging the others forward. It was a relief once we all got to the light at the end of the tunnel.

One might think that just being in the shadow would be easier. After all, you can see everything. Ah, but sometimes it is just the ability to see everything that is the very problem. If being in the shadow is a metaphor for being depressed, feeling down, rejected, etc. seeing people out enjoying the light can be debilitating. The questions of self-doubt and fairness (why me? what's wrong with me? why do they get to enjoy the sun?) begin to creep in even more. And sometimes because the difference between the shadow and light is so subtle, those enjoying the sun may not realize that they are literally standing right next to someone who is in a shadow--just like what I observed out my backdoor today, one side of the trail was in the sun and the other in the shadow. People in the shadow of depression, self-pity, trials, challenges, whatever, need just as much encouragement, communication, prayer, as I did when I was in the dark tunnel. But because we can see each other, we might think all is well and forget about the importance of encouraging words and guiding communication.

But what Jessica (and I) discovered is that the shadow doesn't have to last forever; just the slightest shift in the cloud will let in light that will brighten what once was dark. And while we may not have power to shift the real clouds, we do have the power to shift the metaphorical clouds with God's grace. It will most likely take intentional work, concerted effort, and maybe outside help, but it can be done.

After typing this up I realize it made so much more sense in my head. I hope you were able to catch the gist of what I was trying to say.