By Dr. Jimmy Braswell
Chaplain, Home Hospice of Odessa
I recently purchased and read a book about the balance of light and darkness in the world, and surely if it weren’t for darkness, there would be no need of light.
Being human is balanced with being a child of God. I sometimes muse that my two favorite phrases are “Damn It” and “Jesus, Help Me.”
Usually, those two phrases are within only a few minutes of each other. I’m working on a project and come in the house for a tool and one of the dogs has pooped on the carpet – “Damn it.” I scream at the dog and then after the interruption of cleaning up the mess and the glue having dried on my project, I have to start over. I cry, “Jesus, help me!”
I let such little things interrupt my concentration and my day and even my spirit. It’s when I have allowed the darkness to bring discouragement and depression to my life, when I am in my “Damn it” mood toward the world and the circumstances, that I can finally cry out in my “Jesus, help me” need and find a comfort, a deliverance, and a grace move in and help me balance my life once more.
I once again learn to love my life with its darkness and light, and I love Jesus even more for His deliverance.
