Terry Wardle - Draw Close to the Fire: Finding God in the Darkness

If you have followed the way of Jesus for very long, you know well that this pilgrimage is a journey of peaks as well as valleys. There are incredibly beautiful and refreshing places along the path of faith, and times that you cross treacherous, even frightening terrain. There are days when the brightness of Gods presence offers joy and peace. And sometimes the darkness of night closes in, bringing with it that debilitating discomfort that threatens to undo you.

The question I ask is this: How do you respond when you find yourself in that dark, lonely and often frightening place? If you are like most of us, you experience a very real drive either to turn back or to pray that the darkness will pass as quickly as possible. This reaction is natural and understandable. Part of my own Christian pilgrimage involved an indescribably dark season. I wanted one thing and one thing only: out of there! But any reaction to avoid the dark times and places God brings your way is the wrong response by far.

As upsetting and unsettling as painful times are, you must learn to be patient and watchful as you move through them. Why? Because there are priceless treasures to be gained even in the dark times. God has placed blessings in the seasons of suffering and trial that are capable of changing your life, enhancing your intimacy with Him and increasing your spiritual vitality and personal growth. The question is, how do you lay hold of these treasures found only in the darkness of difficulty and discomfort?

You must draw close to the fire of Gods presence, where His light brings them into full view.

When early pioneers set off into the frontier, they hoped to journey into a rich and fertile land. But they had no illusions about the pilgrimage they were undertaking. It would be difficult and dangerous, particularly as the blackness of night fell. In response to the darkness, they would build a large bonfire in the center of the camp. It served to illumine the area so they could clearly see any potential threat from man or animal. It also provided warmth against the chilling cold that came with the setting of the sun. People found it safest and most comforting as they drew close to the light and warmth of the fire.

This book is about twelve principles of life that can help you in the darkness to draw close to the fire and find God. Each principle will serve as a tool to help you locate, unearth and refine all the hidden blessings God offers you through difficulty and trial. Each is based on a spiritual precept found in His Word. They were important to me on my own journey through the dark night, and have since helped many fellow pilgrims passing through their own places of pain and suffering. They also serve as foundational principles of personal renewal and restoration at the Institute of Formational Counseling of Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. I pray that you will embrace these truths as you make your own pilgrimage through the dark valley. At the end of each chapter I have placed a short reading list. These books further develop the principle being discussed, tooling you all the more to find Gods hidden blessings along the way.

Thanks to Leonard Allen of Leafwood Publishers for publishing this book. And thanks to those who allowed me to share their storiesan invaluable contribution to the book. Many of the names found in these pages are fictitious in order to protect these special people, but the stories them selves are all true.

Terry Wardle

Ashland, Ohio