Dark Days

Though I am a generally cheerful, optimistic person (my childhood nickname may or may not have been 'Mary Sunshine'), I do have a few days each year when I am "whelmed in deeper gulfs than he," or in other words, bummed out. Today has been one of those days. Was it because I'm sick with a particularly unpleasant cold? Was it because I was feeling slighted by a particular conversation? Was it because it was raining outside and I didn't have a good breakfast? It was all of these and none.

Sometimes we just have dark days. We feel grumpy and petulant. We settle into self-indulgent sulks. We think everyone else is mean and selfish while we are under appreciated and selfless. It isn't logical or biblical, but it happens. It is in these times that I am particularly grateful for the Puritans. Nothing pours perspective on a pity party like a Puritan prayer (in other news, I may have a slight alliteration addiction...).

I might have a nasty cold, but I haven't watched 90% of my settlement die of unknown diseases. I may feel undervalued, but I've had more than five tiny kernels of dried corn to eat today. I may feel despair and uncertainty about the future, but I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be 1. attacked by hostile hordes 2. frozen to death 3. eaten by my starving neighbors.

The fact that they lived so close to actual hardship and death makes their prayers all the more poignant and encouraging. Here is one from The Valley of Vision:

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine;
let me find Thy light in my darkness,
Thy life in my death,
Thy joy in my sorrow,
Thy grace in my sin,
Thy riches in my poverty,
Thy glory in my valley.