Dawn was defeating now the last hours sung
by night, which fled before it. And far away
I recognized the tremblings of the sea.
Alone, we walked along the open plain,
as though, returning to a path we’d lost,
our steps, until we came to that, were vain.
Then, at a place in shadow where the dew
still fought against the sun and, cooled by breeze,
had scarcely yet been sent out into vapor,
my master placed the palms of both his hands,
spread wide, lightly and gently on the tender grass.
And I, aware of what his purpose was,
offered my tear-stained cheeks to meet his touch.
At which, he made once more entirely clean
the color that the dark of Hell had hidden.
~Dante from The Divine Comedy, II Purgatorio,Canto 1 lines 115−29

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4: 6

This morning after turning our clocks ahead an hour, I eagerly looked out the window seeking a reprieve from interminable darkness.  I seek the promise of being led back into the light that is suddenly an hour delayed. It is the simple knowledge that as things change, they may get lighter and brighter.

So I harvest hope.

God made light through His Word, not once but at least three times. 
In the beginning, He created the sun and the moon to penetrate and illuminate the creation of our hearts and our souls. 
In the stable He came to light the world from below as well as from above so those hearts and souls could be saved from self-destruction.
In the tomb, He rolled back the stone and raised His Son from the dead, the ultimate defeat of darkness.

I am showered with the cleansing dew of His light,  lit from the glory of God reflected in the many faces of Jesus: as newborn, child teacher, working carpenter, healer, itinerant preacher, unjustly condemned, dying and dead, raised and ascended Son of God. 

Let the dark days come as they certainly will. They cannot overwhelm me now,  lit from within, cleansed inside and out, no matter how deeply the darkness oppresses.

I know His promise.
I know His face.
He knows I know.