In the midst of our stress and hospital stays, running has taken a backseat, as it should. I have NO idea how I’ll run a half marathon in less than a month. It is pretty much impossible. But maybe I can walk it.

On one of my rare runs between hospital stays, I jogged my normal route, which culminates in our local park. There’s a pathway through a tiny forest of deciduous trees where I run on the dirt. It’s lovely and always welcomed.

This time, I decided to walk it. To let the beauty of the trees and the smell of autumn wash over me.

That’s when I noticed it. Beneath the canopy, the day was dark, but as I looked up, where the canopy of trees touched the sky, the light brightened every leaf.

God seemed pretty clear in that moment. Right now we’re walking through a depressive time in our lives. But that doesn’t negate the fact that light exists. The only way I’ll see it is to look up, to strain my eyes to see it from the darkness.

That’s what the Lord wants you and me to do. To look up. To ask for help. To worship. To see.

Above depression is the light. And I’m wholly glad for that.

…

Julia update: This is a long, frustrating, bewildering road. Prayers appreciated for learning to deal with daily headaches, even without diagnosis. That Jesus would be glorified in the way we’re handling things. That His kingdom would be seen in our lives. That Julia wouldn’t blame Him for the pain. That we would have supernatural discernment about what in the heck is going on. That we’d learn the art of dogged perseverance.