I find it strange that the beginning of winter actually marks the turn toward days with more hours of sunshine. December 21st was our darkest day of the year. And, we could take it, Dear Reader, because Christmas was just around the corner. At least that is the way it felt for me.

And I remember thinking distinctly on that day, “This is the last of it. From now on, every day will get brighter.” Even though we are officially in winter now and the months will bring us ice and wind and brrrr, every daytime will be longer and every dark night will be shorter.

Isn’t life the same way? Even in the darkest nights of our soul or the most despairing hour of our disease, those of us who belong to God are always walking one step closer to His light.

It certainly doesn’t feel that way some days. Facebook flashed up a memory from five years ago last week, and I saw our daughter in the middle of her chemo war. I thought that winter would never end. I thought we might die just from holding her up as she battled through it.

But she made it to the light. And, the truth is, she would have made it there either way. One way would have been glory for her and sorrow for us. This way bought us a lot more days of happy here on earth.

I don’t know what your winter is right now. But I hope you have found the Light. I hope you are holding onto it. I hope you know the promise is true, and that it will never fail.

I hope you can see that every day is growing just a little brighter now. Whatever you are fighting, fight through. The spring will be so beautiful this year.