A Light in Darkness

I am now settled in my new Italian home!

But, every apartment comes with its own unique set of quirks...

A few nights ago, I found myself reading by the light of a single flash light at about 1 am. Why was I in this situation? Well, about 9pm the night before, my parents had dropped me off for my first night in the apartment. After I was all ready for bed, I turned off all the lights and crawled into my somewhat comfy pull out bed (I say "somewhat" because when I woke up I found myself sunken into the center of the bed and unable to easily pull myself out - not to mention the springs make an awful noise every time I turn over). So..

After I was in bed, the light directly about me began flashing. After a minor freak out and phone call to Terrance, I turned off some semi important switch which turned off all my electricity. At that point, I did not have light signals being transmitted over my head, however I was without light and keeping my fingers crossed that my ice cream did not melt by morning.

This being my first night alone in my apartment, I was unable to get a full nights rest. Some of the noises I have gotten used to by now...the cars passing by, my neighbors, the sound of chinese water torture (I have yet to discover the source) and of course my creaking bed.

I woke up about 11:30pm feeling like a new person! I thought "Oh yay! It must be about 6am! I have gotten a full nights rest!" only to discover that I slept for a measly two hours!

So, I tossed and turned and began feeling the urge to open my Bible and devotional and I am so glad I did! My mind had begun to wander to the negatives about my life here for the next 3 months. I was feeling a little scared and alone. The darkness that surrounded me that night represented my mood and faith. But, I opened my devotional and read:

"Whenever you find yourself in darkness, let your trust in God pierce it. Choose to rely on Him. Those seasons don't last forever, but you have an opportunity in them to create an eternal testimony to His goodness. You become a trophy of grace on display in heavenly places. And when the season passes, your faith will bear unusually sweet fruit"

How amazing that that is what I read? Rather than put in a DVD, I felt the Lord telling me to read the Word and use this time of silence to become closer to Him.  The darkness in my apartment became a metaphor for the darkness I began to feel. My one small flashlight was a symbol of my faith - small but strong and growing! The night will pass, the sun will rise, and my dark apartment would soon be filled with light.

Arrivederci