Lingering in the Dark

By: Carole L. Haines

I have a wonderful friend who shared with me something she does in her God-Time each morning. She rises while it is still dark and goes to her quiet place and sits there in the dark praying to God. When she senses the prayer time is done, she reaches above her head to switch on the light to begin reading in the Word that morning. Every once in a while, the light just won’t come on, no matter how much she pushes the button. She takes this as a sign from God to sit there in prayer longer. Sure enough, as she lingers in the dark, God speaks a Word to her that she needed to hear. This has happened to her several times.

I found this absolutely fascinating. How often do we get up and leave too soon in our times alone with God?  Had we lingered there a little longer, we may have encountered Jesus in a much deeper way in that quiet place. Mary Magdalene had this experience at the tomb on resurrection Day.
^10 “So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
¹¹ But Mary was standing outside the tomb, weeping; so as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb; ¹² and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. ¹³ And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they put Him.” ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and *saw Jesus standing there, and yet she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Thinking that He was the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you put Him, and I will take Him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (Which means, Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 
(John 20:10-17)

Mary lingered longer. In her grief, she stayed closer to where she thought Jesus would be. Dazed and confused at the stone rolled away. Completely dumb founded she waited longer, lingering in that dark moment. Everyone else had gone away, but Mary just couldn’t leave. Because of that decision, she encountered Jesus. My friend Becky lingers longer in the dark when she senses God asking her to wait, and she encounters her Lord there. God always gets her to her job on time, despite the extra time. I once told a friend that if we give God the time He requires, He will always give us the time we need.  So, linger longer in the dark my friends. Sit before Jesus just a bit longer, like Mary, and God will give you the time you need to do all you need to do. Linger longer and meet Jesus there in that dark place in your life.