Purpose in the Darkness

My eyes scream when I flip on the light switch, but I'm not taking the chance of one of the bathroom snake stories I've heard happening to me. 

So I turn the light on. The unpleasant eye strain is worth the peace of mind of being able to examine the bathroom for snakes. 

In a lot of instances, light is a positive thing. Light illuminates, it helps me to see. 

But the truth is, the darkness plays a pivotal role in our wellbeing as well. Light at night disrupts our bodies processes that lead to our bodies functioning optimally. It disrupts melatonin production, which makes our sleep not as restful, which disrupts the tasks our bodies do while we are asleep. 

Darkness, in the right context, is right and good. It's like gangrene. In my childbearing years my midwife explained to me that gangrene helps a babies umbilical cord to fall off quickly. If I get gangrene at any other time, in any other part of my body it has devastating effects. 

I've come to recognize the pivotal role that my Dark Night of the Soul has played in my spiritual and mental wellbeing. 

I believe the Dark Night provided me the means and fortitude to take the rest I needed. To differentiate from codependent relationships. To learn to trust myself. To take responsibility for myself. To exist without striving. To tread spiritual water. To be consistent for the sake of being consistent. 

There was no snake in the darkness, and no gangrene to consume me. It was darkness that provided me with rest and revitalization. That empowered restoration, concentration and clear thinking. 

To read the next installment in this series, click here.