The poem below was a vision given to a sister when she was walking through some dark times.....
I stand in the darkness, alone
Could not breathe, could not speak, could not see
I stood there and waited, alone
Such darkness encompassing me
I waited alone, unafraid
Not knowing where was I, nor why
Just waiting, I stood unafraid
Whatever was coming, was nigh
Before me I saw in the dark
Treasure, glowing, glinting and gold
Offered to me in the dark
Waiting for me to take hold
'Who is it who offers me this?'
Needing to know, to be sure
'Who is it that offers me this?'
'Are these treasures holy and pure?'
They were treasures to me, that they were
Not the same would be treasure for you
Placed at my feet, there they were
Do I take them? I had not a clue
(Poppie)
The poem above speaks to her walk in the darkness and treasure to be found in the darkness. Here was my interpretation of the sisters vision which she accepted....
In the depths of darkness is the greatest opportunities to grow close to the Lord. Let me illustrate it this way. What is a drop of water to someone who is just living their lives? What is a drop of water to someone who is at deaths door in the desert, same drop of water. Its treasure to one and not the other.
We can choose to be blessed in any situation, or cursed but the choice is ours. The darkness of trials and tribulations can create an Apostle Paul who had learned to be content in every situation. On the other hand it can be the destruction of one who does not have what they claim to have. Same darkness, same trial, same persecution, different result beased on the condition of the ones who are being affected. Consider the two houses in the Lords parrable. One storm comes. To one house it leads to destruction, to the other it leads to the proving of its foundations.
When we walk through the darkness of any situation, trusting in the Lord, it proves His faithfulness, not ours. This is treasure indeed. To know and to trust the Living God. Only the darkness, only the storm can flesh this out. And so one must reach out and lay hold of God in the midst of the storm. They must invite HIm into their boat, they must get out of the boat and walk upon the water and above the storm at His bidding. Our trust and faith in God, which is the foundation of our lives, grows greatly in the midst of deep trial.
A tree grows in the depths of winter. When all of its foliage has dropped to the ground, when it is uncovered and stands stark against the winter, the roots extend down deepr and the tree grows taller as all of the water, all of the food of the tree is used to grow it and not sustain its outward covering..........brother Frank