Almost three years ago I wrote a post I really believed in and that I hoped would be a source of motivation to others looking to make life a little better. It was a post on seeing silver linings, of looking for the good even in places of pain and disappointment, and it was about making even a small difference in the day-to-day life of others. See the good, be the good became a reminder that positive things hide even in negative places and that some days I might need to be that positive thing.
Many people will look back on this last year through
tear-stained eyes, grief holding on tight to hearts and minds, as grief often does.
When mentioning all that transpired, there will be understandable disdain for
the events of the previous months and we will all collectively hold our breath
for fresh starts and blank slates. But I cannot let this last year fade away as
an unhappy memory when I firmly believe there is goodness to be found even in
the most trying of times.
This past summer, my son and I watched every Marvel movie chronologically from Captain America: The First Avenger to Spiderman: Far from Home. Later my kids and I worked our way through the Harry Potter films. As we immersed ourselves in these rich stories of good versus evil, it helped to lay the foundation for uncovering the good to be found in this year. J.K. Rowling, in The Prisoner of Azkaban, gives Albus Dumbledore a memorable line. “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
That’s the thing
about good versus evil. The light always wins.
The light
always wins against the dark because the good, the One who is immeasurably and
overwhelmingly good, has already triumphed over evil. “The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) Anything the world can bring us is only temporary because His victory is eternal.
He is the light of the world that brings light to the world.
See the
Good
Seeing
the good means looking for this light; it means looking for big and little pictures of grace in a world that seems starved for good gifts. For our
family, the lockdown created by the pandemic allowed for much needed rest after
a difficult season of change we experienced the last half of 2019. The time at
home gave us permission to slow down, to spend time together, to work our land
and cultivate our homestead, and most importantly, to heal.
I
know for some it was a difficult thing to find the good. In a year marked by
sickness, death, loneliness, and fear of the present and future, it wasn’t easy
to see even a small glimmer of hope. But leaning in to peer a bit closer,
beneath the murky waters of this year, we might just find a shimmering pearl of
goodness hiding in the sand.
I
encourage you to look back and find a bit of encouragement from the last year
that will help to propel you into the new. Even if you find yourself limping day
after day, the goodness is that you are here. You woke up yesterday and today,
and tomorrow you will greet a new day. In a dark season, that is enough.
Be
the Good
But
if you are ready, if you want to take a step toward adding a bit more light, I
ask that you try to not only see the good in each day, but be the good to those
around you. I keep reading stories of so many negative attitudes and behaviors; people have forgotten how to treat each other. We are collectively hurting
and as the old cliché says, hurt people hurt people.
This
new year will not necessarily mean all the bad will cease to be. On the
contrary, we will probably continue to endure sickness, death, and loneliness. We
will always have those in this broken world. The difference between then and
now is that we can choose to be a source of light in dark days. We can
choose small acts of kindness and edifying words. We can choose to be the good
to those around us who need us to reflect the light of the one who has forever
overcome the darkness.
See the
good.
Be
the good.
And as
Dumbledore encouraged, remember to turn on the light.
