Hurricanes were new to me. Growing up in Oklahoma and Texas, I had experienced tornados. I had seen baseball-sized hail, and had seen the sky painted rust as wind storms blew the red soil toward the clouds. Yet hurricanes were new to me, so I asked a Virginia veteran what to expect. With an air of awe he said, “It is amazing. The day before it hits, the sky is blue and there is no real sign that it is coming. Then the winds and rain hit with a powerful force. The day after, the sky returns to its peaceful blue as though the hurricane was never there.”

The dramatic shifts of blue sky to storm, then back to blue reminded me of something my oldest son said when he was three years old. John Mark had a fear of the dark. Like his dad, he needed the comfort of a nightlight to sleep. One night we were walking to the car after buying some groceries. Holding John Mark in my arms, my three-year-old said, “Daddy, when the dark is gone, it will be morning.” I let his words soak in, and tried to understand why he said what he did. My three-year-old, who is afraid of the dark, believed he would be all right because it would not always be dark. He felt he could make it through the night because the dark had always been pushed away by the morning.

It is humbling how the fears and views of a three-year-old address our views and fears in life. Whether you label your time of suffering as something stormy or dark, the principles are still the same.

Principle #1
Darkness Is Unpredictable

The first principle of dark or stormy times is that they are unpredictable. Predictability enabled John Mark to say, “When the dark is gone, it will be morning.” He knew that when the sun went down it would rise the next morning. Though he did not like the dark, he felt safe in the predictable routine of the sunrise. Where you experience your darkest dark or stormiest storm is when one surprises you.

This happened to Job. He experienced an eclipse without an announcement. It was a hurricane that came without any warning. Look what happened in one unpredictable moment in Job 1:13-19:

13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

Without any warning, Job lost his livelihood and his family. It did not matter that he lost some by an act of violence and others catastrophic events. All he knew was that in one unpredictable moment, his daylight turned to dark. His blue skies became a storm and he was hurting.

Some pains are predictable. If your debt is growing, you can anticipate calls from creditors. If the health of a great-grandparent is deteriorating, you can expect a call from the hospital. Like being able to tighten your stomach before being hit, the blow is not as bad. It is when you are hit without warning that the blow knocks the breath out of you. Your child’s life has been taken by an accident. You have been laid off without compensation. It was just a mole, but the doctor says it is cancer. Your spouse says, “I don’t love you any more.” These are just a few of the unpredictable storms in life. Oh, how they hurt.

Principle #2
Darkness Is Unbiased

The second principle of dark times is that they are unbiased. Again, I learned this from John Mark when he was three. When John Mark wanted to know why the stores were closing, I told him, “Because it is dark and time for the workers to go home to bed.” When he asked why his friends could not come over, I answered, “Because it is dark and time for them to be in bed.” After a day of answering all of John Mark’s questions, his mother and I were trying to get a point across to him – when it is dark everyone goes to bed! Yet it seems that John Mark’s questions taught me something. Darkness affects everyone!

Darkness is unbiased. In Matthew 5:45, Jesus taught that dark times affect everyone. Jesus said,

45 … He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Jesus taught that calamity is a part of life just as you are a part of life. At some time, regardless of who you are or what you do, the two will meet. Some believe if they are cautious they will avoid hardship. Others believe because they are Christians they are protected from pain. Yet, God never said that. God did say that in this life He would not leave you like an orphan (John 14:8). He said to call on Him with any question (Jeremiah 33:3), and you can cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). God gave these promises because He knew at some point you and calamity would meet, not once but several times. God knew that dark times in life were unbiased.

Principle #3
Darkness Is Unsettling

Since the dark and stormy times in life are unpredictable and unbiased, you can understand that they are also unsettling. The more I talked to John Mark about his fear of the dark, the more this three-year-old helped me understand mine. John Mark was afraid of the dark for two reasons.

You Cannot See
One reason he was afraid of the dark was because he could not see. I know this sounds too simple to be significant, but let me tell you how John Mark told me. We were driving home from church one Sunday night when I asked him why he was afraid of the dark. Three years old and buckled in the front seat he said, “Well, Daddy, it is because I can’t see as well when it’s dark.” As I looked out upon the familiar road home, I could only see as far as the street lights shined. Homes, streets, and landmarks visible in the day were hidden by the dark. Even the horizon was shorter as I could not see as far simply because it was dark.

Dark times do that to us as well. Plans, decisions, and steps that were once so clear now become hazy in the shadows. Your future, that was once so plain, has now become a day-to-day experience. Life has become unsettled because everything seems harder to see.

You Lose Track of Time
The second reason John Mark was afraid of the dark was because it seemed to last forever. When you are three years old an hour is like a year and a day is like a decade. I remember when John Mark asked what time it was, and I answered, “8 A.M.” He quizzed me, “Daddy, what does A.M. mean?” I gave him a Daddy answer. (That is when Dad does not know so he makes something up.) I said, “John Mark, A. M. means all morning and P. M. means past morning.” I am sure in John Mark’s mind it seemed that the P. M. of his day lasted far longer than the A. M.

Any time you go through a dark time, it feels far longer than a good time. In fact, sometimes if feels as though the morning will never come again. That is the impression you get from the writer of Psalm 77. Listen to verses 1-9:

I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.

3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;
I mused, and my spirit grew faint.
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired:

7 "Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"

These are the words of an unsettled soul. He is stressed, tired, but cannot sleep. He asks in verse 7, “Will the Lord reject forever?” He can no longer see clearly and it seems it will always be this way.

You probably can relate. You know what it is like to be unsettled in the dark. The driving question on your mind is, “What do I do?”

Principle #4
Rest In Darkness

For the most, you understand that storms do not always last and the morning eventually comes. But when you are in the middle of a dark stormy time all you want is a little comfort to give you peace till it is over. You want to know what to do so you can rest in the darkness.

Since John Mark’s darkness came every night, there was a routine Loree and I followed to help him go to sleep. I got his glass of water and put it by his bed. I do not know if he ever drank it, but it made him feel better to have it just in case. Loree would then rock him in his room with the nightlight on. I guess this conditioned him that even while in the dark, he was safe in his mother’s arms. Then when Loree would lay him in bed, I would pray with him each night, and the prayer sounded something like this,

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for John Mark. He is such a good boy. Please help him have a good night’s sleep, and wake him up tomorrow ready to play some more.

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen

With this routine, John Mark could sleep in the middle of his deepest fear. He could rest in the darkness.

The Psalmist in Psalm 77 seems to have found a routine that helped him through his dark time. Since it has been preserved in the Bible, I am confident it will help you through yours. He talks about it in verses 10-15,

10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.

13 Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

The Psalmist implies that the following routine helped him.

Recall God’s Deeds
He writes in verse 11, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes I will remember your miracles of long ago.” If you want to rest in the midst of your darkness, remember the other dark times God brought you through. Remembering God’s care for you in the past is as good as rocking in His lap. It comforts you in the midst of your darkness.

Read God’s Word
In verse 12, the Psalmist said, “I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” This word mediate is also found in Psalm 1:2. There it challenges you to meditate on God’s word day and night. The result is that you will be like a tree planted by streams of water whose leaf never withers. God’s word is like the water on John Mark’s night stand. It is always there to supply you with what you need, allowing you to rest in the midst of your darkness.

Reflect on God’s Character
Verses 13-15 refer to the ways and acts of God that spotlight His character. Take time to reflect on the loving and consistent character of God. God’s character has always been consistent whether you are going through good times or bad. Though life can be unpredictable, God’s character is not. He is as reliable as a nighttime prayer and a goodnight kiss. Because He is your heavenly Father, you know you can rest in the midst of your darkness. He is always there for you.

Remember God’s Promises
This last suggestion does not come from the Psalmist. It’s from the image of a three-year-old sleeping soundly in the midst of his fear. I don’t know of a more peaceful sleep than that of my boys in their preschool years. Yet John Mark could sleep so soundly because he trusted Loree and me. We would get him more water if he needed it. We would rock him again if he needed it. But above all he trusted me when I prayed that tomorrow would come and he would play again.

I don’t know of the storm or dark time you may be going through, but you can trust God. Philippians 4:19 says that he “will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” I don’t know of the fears you have but Romans 8:28 says that “God works all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.” And if you think your morning will never come and you will never play again, Isaiah 40:31 says,

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Over the years, I have learned a great deal about my relationship with my heavenly Father by watching my boys’ relationship with me. Trust me, John Mark is right. Your morning will come, and when the dark is gone, it will be morning.