Have you ever sat in a room so dark that you couldn't even see your own hands in front of your face? It is a heavy, suffocating feeling, isn't it? When Thomas Fuller wrote that it is always darkest just before the day dawns, he wasn't just talking about the literal night sky. He was talking about those moments in our lives when the weight of our struggles feels so immense that we start to believe the sun might never rise again. This quote reminds us that the deepest shadows often signal that a transition is happening, and that light is actually much closer than it feels.

In our everyday lives, this darkness shows up in many forms. It might be the silence after a difficult breakup, the overwhelming stress of a job that feels impossible, or the quiet grief that settles in your heart after a loss. During these times, it is so easy to lose sight of the horizon. We become so focused on the shadows around us that we forget the rotation of the earth is still happening, and that the dawn is an inevitable promise of the natural world.

I remember a time when I felt quite lost, much like a little duckling wandering far from the nest in a heavy fog. Everything felt uncertain, and I was so afraid of the cold that I couldn't imagine feeling warmth again. I spent so many nights worrying about what the morning would bring. But as the days slowly shifted, I realized that the very moments of my greatest uncertainty were actually the moments where I was being prepared for a new kind of strength. The fog didn't disappear instantly, but slowly, the light began to peek through the trees, much like the dawn follows the deepest night.

If you are currently navigating a season of darkness, please know that your struggle is not a sign of permanent defeat. It is often the precursor to a breakthrough. The heaviness you feel right now might just be the quiet before a beautiful new beginning. Hold on, breathe through the shadows, and trust that the light is working its way back to you.

Tonight, as you settle in, I invite you to take a moment to reflect on a difficult moment you have survived in the past. Think about how the light eventually found you then, and allow that memory to give you a little bit of courage for whatever you are facing today.