In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:4–5
There will always be darkness in this world. There’s no avoiding that, but there is also always light. I’ve learned, slowly, sometimes painfully that so much of this life is shaped by perspective. What will you choose to focus on? Everything wrong, broken, heavy… or the quiet beauty that still exists in the midst of it all? The darkness that feels inevitable, or that glimmer of hope you feel when the light breaks through?
This year was the hardest my family and I have ever walked through. Admitting that has been healing in its own way but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t also a year of blessings, miracles, and unexpected joys. Darkness doesn’t erase the light. If anything, it makes it more noticeable. More sacred. More needed.
Learning to let the light in has looked like noticing the sunlight on the darkest days. It’s choosing to acknowledge both realities: the pain and the possibility. The heartbreak and the hope. The shadows and the shimmer of something beautiful breaking through.
Letting the light in doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine or skipping over the hurt. It’s not about forcing positivity or ignoring reality. Light doesn’t deny darkness, it shines through it.
It’s choosing not to let negativity, bitterness, fear, or heaviness consume you. And if you’ve put your hope in Jesus, you have an anchor through every storm, knowing:
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:4–5
There’s a reason I love when light pours into a room. It instantly changes the atmosphere. Letting the light into your mind and life feels similar, it brings a hopeful kind of clarity and casts vision in the same place that seemed meaningless. A sense of, I can breathe again… there’s still hope to be found.
But here’s the part we don’t talk about enough: Sometimes letting the light in is uncomfortable.
When you’ve been sitting in darkness for a while, brightness can feel harsh at first, like stepping outside after a movie and squinting while your eyes adjust. The same thing happens inside us.
Light illuminates what you tried to hide; your pain, your patterns, your unhealthy habits, the secrets you buried, the parts of yourself you didn’t want anyone to see. It exposes, reveals, and brings things into clarity. And while that process doesn’t always feel good… it is good.
Because what comes into the light can be healed. What’s acknowledged can be released. What’s exposed can finally be transformed.
Letting the light in means letting God shine a spotlight on the things you’ve carried alone for too long. It means letting go of what no longer serves you so you can grow from what you once covered up. It’s seeing the good, choosing to be the good, and trusting that He is working all things together for your good.
And the beautiful thing? You’re not meant to just receive the light, you’re meant to reflect it.
Matthew 5:14 says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
And verse 16 reminds us, “Let your light shine before others.” When you let God’s light in, it naturally pours back out of you.
So maybe letting the light in looks like this:
• Choosing hope when fear feels easier.
• Choosing honesty when hiding feels safer.
• Choosing softness in a world that tries to harden you.
• Choosing faith when the future feels uncertain.
• Choosing healing, even when it’s uncomfortable.
So before you focus on the darkness surrounding you, look to the light and let it lead you home.
Xoxo, B
blissfullyb 