Light and Darkness

I overhear Quinn talking to himself in the bathroom while I'm cooking dinner...

Quinn: Am I not scared to go in the bathroom with no light on and shut the door?

Mom: No, you are not scared. You can do it. Go for it.

Quinn: No, I am not scared. (smiling)

[He goes in and shuts the door. Then comes out in a few seconds.]

Quinn: I cannot stay in there. It's TOO BRIGHT in there. It's too bright. (squinting) I cannot see.

Mom: Too bright? You mean, it's too dark. It's too bright when there is a lot of light and too dark when there is no light and you cannot see. Do you understand.

Quinn: Oh, yes. Well it is too dark in there.

Quinn is usually very good with word usage, so at first it puzzled me that he would say the darkness is too bright. But then I got a glimpse into his little mind as I remembered this morning and many mornings. When I open the kitchen curtains in the morning, the intense light shines in during breakfast and Quinn cannot see at all. So he used the same word when he couldn't see from all the darkness. I love how his mind works and makes connections!

This little situation parallels so many situations in relationship to Christ. But I immediately think of Christ visiting Paul on the road to Damascus. The light from Christ was so powerful and intense from the Holy One that it was blinding to Paul. Paul's encounter with light created darkness in his weak, human eyes (like my little boy temporarily did in the dark). One verse that comes to mind regarding Christ's light is John 8:12.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

There is such comfort in a verse like this, amidst trial or a moment of doubting.

Israel and Quinn washed (inside and out) the XTerra last weekend. Quinn was soaked to the bone, which means he had a lot of fun.