Our dog is addicted to sunny spots. If left alone, she will invariably be found on the sofa if that’s where the sunlight falls. I watched her looking out the window at the sky and then searching the room for the brightest place to be. Do you think it would help if we were a bit like her?

There are, of course, plenty of times when we have to face the shadows, or when they come upon us without warning. It is difficult, even impossible, to see the light in those times. I watched Rag n Bone man struggle on the Graham Norton show  to describe the grief he felt over his mum’s death. I looked at him and just wished he would see the light of Christ waiting to comfort him. There is no stronger, greater light than that.

If you are struggling in your own darkness, there are sometimes glimmers of light that can help you through. It could be a bright birdsong, somebody else’s hand, a child’s laugh, a letter from a distant friend, a visit from someone brighter than you feel, a funny pet that makes you laugh. The sun is out today. Can you see it?

So if you are searching in your darkness, look up and see the Son shining for you. That is my prayer, that no darkness would be so great that you can’t see the light that is dispelling the night for you.