Not too long ago I came home and heard my youngest daughter say something about an eclipse. Well, I hadn’t heard much about it. I hurried outside and sure enough there was only a small sliver of bright light left.

Well, I’m not an astronomer, but I understand this phenomenon was caused by the moon passing through the shadow of the earth, thus blocking the light of the sun. The dark red color on the moon was caused by sunlight – rays of sunlight that were bent by the earth’s atmosphere.

Well, I called the family out. They looked up and ooh-ed and ah-ed accordingly. Now, some of us wrapped ourselves up in a large Levi quilt and kept watching. We didn’t want to miss a thing.

Ever so gradually – it was neat – ever so gradually the light disappeared. The moon though still visible became dark. It fascinated me! Now, I’m a simple minded soul – it fascinated me how God works in His heavens to teach us. I felt such a sense of reverence that I began to sing a hymn about the glory of God and His creations. My daughters joined in. It was kind of fun.

The neighbors came out to see what was going on. I’m sure they thought we were crazy standing out there in the cold serenading a lunar eclipse.

Well anyway, on its steady course, the moon continued to climb higher in the sky, until finally – the light reappeared. Now this might seem strange, but you know – the light seemed more beautiful and bright after the eclipse than it did before.

My dear friends, all the creations of God bear witness of Him and of His truth. We are like that moon. We don’t generate our own light; we reflect that light which comes from God. And there are times, and it happens to all of us, when through our own foolishness and rebellion we block out that light of God that is our source of happiness. It’s those times when we need to repent, change our course, and get back into the light.

But – and this is my point – there are also those times, eclipses if you will, when our infinitely wise Father and Teacher allows that brilliant light to be withdrawn through no fault of ours, like Jesus in Gethsemane. Often these are times of painfully intense testing and growth vital for us all. But know this – oh, please know this: Like that moon, the sun’s light is not totally withdrawn during these times. If we will hold on, and stay the appointed course allowing God to work His wonders, that light will return – it’s not an ‘if,’ it’s a ‘when’ – that light will return, and when it does, it will seem so much more brilliant than ever it did before. Hold on.