I turn lights on. My husband turns lights off. I turn lights on. I love the light! Whatever the source- I need it!

It may have started when I was a child. Our family spent the night at my aunt’s house in Stickleyville, Virginia. Yes, Stickleyville — the house had a tin roof, outdoor toilet, and a creek you had to drive ‘through’ to get there. That rain-filled night, the five of us slept in one bed. My sister and I slept sideways across the end. I had zero sleep. Not because of the rain or the tin roof. The problem — It was too DARK!

Add about 35 years to that — Black Mountain Campground — with approximately 100 friends from church. At bedtime, flashlights and lanterns went out one by one. Lots of snores were coming from lots of tents. But … that wasn’t my sleep problem. The problem — It was too DARK! I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, although I kept trying. In the middle of the night, I turned on my flashlight briefly, in order to make sure I was still there. I had zero sleep.

Light and dark —  it’s often mentioned in the Bible. Mary gave birth to Jesus in a dark stable one night, so that one day we could see the light. The wise men saw the light from his star in the darkness. The shepherds were working in the dark when the light from the angel of the Lord shined on them. Darkness has always been a part of our world, but in 1 Peter 2:9, Jesus calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light. In John 8:12, Jesus says that he is the light of the world.

I kept up with the news constantly on October 13, 2010, as 33 Chilean miners who had been trapped 2300 feet below ground for 69 days were brought one by one to the surface — and saw the light. Hector Tobar’s nonfiction book, Deep Down Dark, tells how the miners had to ration food — like cutting a slice of a peach into 33 slivers. The temperature was often around 100 degrees. The batteries in their headlamps gradually failed, plunging them into growing darkness. It sounds unbearable.

As I think about what that experience must have been like, I realize that while ‘below’ ground, even though some communication was eventually established, they could not have been fully aware of what was going on ‘above’ them. Loved ones were camping out, rescuers were working 24 hours a day, experts from around the world were consulting on the best way to safely free them, and the world was praying for them. They were in ‘deep down dark’ but up above, the rescue and the light was coming.

That is such a great example of how God works ‘up above’ in every aspect of our lives, and rescues us by sending his light. We all sometimes face dark situations that can be hard to understand and endure, but we need to trust God and remember what is going on ‘up above’ on our behalf. Wise men still seek Jesus today and his light will shine on every situation and circumstance in our lives.

Are you in darkness? You don’t have to stay there. Reach up. The light switch is right above you. And the Power is always on …

Ann Farabee, writer, teacher, and speaker, has taught in Kannapolis City Schools and Mooresville Schools. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com