Earlier this week in my post Death is Overthrown I mentioned that I was reading Way of the Ascetic by Tito Colliander.
I’ve been pondering on this very short section of his book, On Times of Darkness, all week. I shared how comforting it was to know that “even the saints have had their dark hours, days and weeks.” And that he suggests, “Do not pity yourself, seek comfort in nothing but your cry to the Lord.” I have to be honest, feeling sorry for myself was my go-to much of my life. My realization that that HAD TO STOP was what inspired this journey, Kindler of Joy, the journey to joy.
What I didn’t mention in Sunday’s post was the context around “Do not pity yourself, seek comfort in nothing but your cry to the Lord.” To fill it out has such greater meaning and instruction and it has inspired me to think of my Pivot Prayers.
On such days [of darkness] stay quiet. Do not be persuaded to go out into social life or entertainment. Do not pity yourself, seek comfort in nothing but your cry to the Lord: “Haste Thee, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord” (Psalm 70:1)! “I am so fast in prison that I cannot get forth” (Psalm 88:8), and other such appeals. You cannot expect real help from any other source.
Tito Colliander
Psalms… and other such appeals! Cry out to God with these appeals.
I see this as a perfect reason to surround yourself with Pivot Prayers. Short, breath prayers surrounded by beauty, to keep our eyes focused on Jesus. A way to bring our hearts back to Him, the Light of the world.
May our cries to God bring Light to our darkness. May these prayers, our appeals, bring His Light when we need it. Because we will surely have days we sit in darkness and need to find the light. These prayers are your guide.
Kindler of Joy! 