As the sun reappeared from behind another dark cloud, I was reminded that hard times don’t last forever. I have lost count of the number of people going through darkness at the moment. The world is filled with war, starvation, floods, earthquakes, political corruption, injustice, abuse, exploitation and abandonment of the weakest. Now, more than ever, we need the sun to come out.

I’ll be honest, when you’re going through darkness, it is very hard to believe that light will ever appear again. It might be that all we can experience is a glimmer of light through the kindness of a stranger, the encouragement of a friend or a reminder about our faithful Father. My aunt sent me a picture of a candle that was lit for me yesterday. From that warm thought I look up and see the sun has come out again.

However hopelessly cold you feel in your own darkness, seek out the light and warmth that is available to you right now. Or bring that to someone else with a text, gift, an impromptu visit.

There’s a song which tells us, ‘carry your candle’. Can you think of a way you can do that today?

The world is hard, our lives are full of darkness but if we can manage it, we can be part of one of God’s first acts of creation, ‘let there be light’. Darkness is present, but you have the power to carry a little light into it for yourself, for someone else, for the world. Let’s do that.