Beauty Begins in Darkness
A couple of months ago, I made a last-minute decision to plant a patch of sunflowers, hoping they would fully bloom before the first frost. From that moment on, every morning I would head straight to the backyard to shower them with love and devotion, ensuring they had plenty of water, encouraging their growth, and playing a plant-friendly playlist on Spotify for their listening pleasure. Lo and behold, one glorious morning, as I not so gracefully ambled my way to the garden coffee in hand, I noticed my beloved plants had begun to peek through the soil. These determined little flowers-to-be had pushed their way through the darkness, cracking the dense Colorado clay, and finally reached the light. Once just a plain brown dirt patch, it was now adorned with vibrant green specks of life.
Reaching Toward the Light
While we are in the midst of darkness, God plants seeds that eventually take root. Even though darkness is feared, avoided, and associated with negativity, it’s in this state that true transformation begins. Just like those sunflower seeds buried underneath the earth, I, too, was once covered in darkness. Years of emotional turmoil and trauma left me feeling defeated. I was at the end of my rope, hopeless, ravaged with fear, and void of all joy. Yet, at my lowest point in life, the most dramatic change began. Hard work and self-reflection, fused with God’s grace, and slowly, inch by inch, I began to pull myself from the depths. I started to see the light. Tears came fewer and farther between, while laughter was a frequent companion. During this time of growth, creativity began to spark, I found my voice, and I rediscovered my faith. Just like the sunflowers, I pushed through the darkness until I saw the light.
“Darkness is depths, womb, soil where seeds sprout, soothing shade, night in which we grow and make long-term memory. Darkness is source, essence, innermost being, transcendence, nothingness, emptiness, mystery.” ~Rabbi Fern Feldman
Jewish Wisdom and the Gift of Darkness
Darkness is most often associated with evil, negativity, and lack; yet, contrary to popular belief, this is truly where the magic happens. According to Jewish wisdom, the beauty found in darkness is a biblical concept. In the article “Sacred Dark,” My Jewish learning explains: “But in the Bible, darkness is also associated with profound manifestations of divine presence. In the second verse of Genesis, we see darkness in close proximity to the divine: “darkness was on the face of the deep, and a wind of God hovered on the face of the waters.” Here, darkness does not seem to embody evil or suffering, but rather the potential that exists before God’s creative process begins.”
Just as darkness was the canvas from which God created the earth, it is also the space where we can craft our life’s beautiful masterpiece. If you find yourself in a dark place in life, take heart: it is during these times that you have the opportunity to rise to your full potential. Hold on tightly to your faith and remember that God is using this period in your life to mold and shape you into something miraculous. I will leave you with a quote by one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Gilbert:
“Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.”
When you think all hope is lost, light will shine through and flowers will begin to bloom once again and always remember, from the darkness, something beautiful will rise! Thank you so much for your readership! Shalom and Shana Tova, my friends!
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