“There in those caves, drowned in the sorrow of his song, and in the song of his sorrow, David very simply became the greatest hymn writer, the greatest comforter of broken hearts this world shall ever know.” (quote from: Tale of Three Kings)
Sometimes our moments of greatest defeat or struggle in turn become our most beautiful moments of the unveiling of our hearts, the deepest parts of us becoming known and developed for something much larger than our little selves.
David felt many things and it is often easily read in the songs he sung. David didn’t sit down and formulate what words would sound correct or the most eloquent, he was singing spontaneously the deepest parts of his soul, making bare himself to others, while someone sat in the room putting sung words to paper. He was vulnerable, he was human, and he was honest.
There are psalms that reveal the darkest parts of David. He confesses weakness and unbelief but yet manages to find a way to Truth before the song has ended. I am always encouraged by the life story of David. He was overlooked in his family, belittled in his value, chased by enemies, fell prey to his own lustful desires, and was fairly emotional BUT YET he was noble, honoring, humble, and true to himself.
Something that has been playing over and over in my head recently is, “learn to embrace the darkest parts of you.” We are constantly learning things about ourselves, things that we are embarrassed of or afraid of and when we are put into intense, challenging situations those things became magnified (or at least from my experiences that is what it seems.)
So when someone asks me “what are you most nervous about for the World Race?” or “what are you afraid of about this journey?” I know that my answer would be … myself.
What will I discover about myself? What things will push me to a breaking point that I didn’t even know I had? Will I be selfish? Will I be prideful? Will I lack faith? Will I be ungrateful? Will I doubt?
I have been asking Jesus these questions a lot lately. And all He says back is “learn to embrace the darkest parts of you.”
You see because David’s darkest moments grew in him a maturity to push past situations to seek the Light in the darkness. He wrote songs that still inspire us today but would we have some of those psalms if it wasn’t for the dark places that birthed them? I mean could he really of wrote “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” if he hadn’t really felt like he was in that valley of death?
So what I am saying is lets embrace those darker parts of ourselves, not embrace them to keep them, but embrace them to learn them and grow from them. David didn’t stay in that valley, and neither should we. I don’t know what things I will learn about myself in this next year but I do know that He is faithful to keep me and guide me, just like He did David. God won’t leave me when I struggle or abandon my side when I discover some of those darker parts and He won’t leave you.
“Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day for the darkness is as light with You.” Psalms 139: 7-12
So here is to embracing the darker parts of ourselves and seeking out the Light in those dark places!
