What a difference a patch of sunlight can make. The room was shaded, but the curtains were open. A bit of sunshine danced across the carpet. On that day, I remember, there was a new puppy at our house. She wandered over the room, and then stopped, finding what she was looking for. She flopped down on that bright, warm place, raised her head, sniffed once and curled up contentedly.

Amused at her actions, I decided there must be a lesson in that. The little dog had the entire run of the house. A comfortable chair or a couch was at her disposal, but instead she searched until she found that patch of sunshine. I wonder how many times we settle for a dark spot in our lives, even wallow in it, instead of making an effort to find some sunshine.

I heard a touching story about a little boy born with no legs or arms. His parents, in their confusion and grief over the infant’s condition, allowed him to be placed in an institution. Soon the mother realized the enormity of what they had done, and they returned him to their home. There was nothing wrong with his mind. They looked for and found help; he was fitted with artificial arms and legs. It was not long before he began running and playing with other children. He even learned to ride a horse. For a while the parents were stalled in a darkened maze, but they found hope and joy—a ray of sunshine for them and their child.

One morning I set out for a 50-mile drive to attend a meeting. Although I noticed it was foggy from my kitchen window, I did not realize how thick it was until I pulled out on the highway. Sometimes I could barely see the stripes in the road. I turned on my radio to keep my sense of reality. When I was shrouded with fog those few hours, I had to fight the feeling that the rest of the world had slipped away from me.

When I felt myself getting panicky, I prayed for the Lord to guide me safely through the very real barrier of foggy mist. When I felt the panic returning, I reminded myself to trust and believe that God would help me. A peace settled over me and although there was no lifting of the thick fog, I continued to drive carefully. Even when I reached my destination, fog still lingered.

Several hours later, when I left the meeting, the sun had broken through. As I drove toward home, I looked about me in amazement, remembering I had seen nothing but fog that morning. It was if I had been dreaming, but I knew it was real.

When there are times in our lives that we pass through a difficulty of fog or darkness, we need to remind ourselves to search for a patch of sunlight. I believe we become the richer for it.

 

Nina Keenam is retired from the newspaper business. Her column appears on Saturdays.