Devotional 3-29-11

Ephesians 5:8-14

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light - for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

This past winter seemed to me to be extremely long. The grey skies and decreased length of the day does bother some people more than others. No one is immune from this phenomenon.

Behavioral and psychological experts note that a large portion of their patients that have some form of depression become affected more during the winter season. They call it seasonal affective disorder or SAD. They have observed and quantified that as the amount of daylight and sunshine decrease some of their patients’ symptoms tend to worsen. People tend to score higher on subjective measurements and tend to need their therapies adjusted accordingly. Objective measurements such as serotonin levels will also change in these conditions.

The scripture chosen from the lectionary for Lent is a wonderful adjunctive therapy for folks that find things a little more than bleak during the long days of winter.

Paul talks about darkness and light in very mild but strong language and offers hope to us when grey skies, cold temperatures, snow, sleet, and rain tend to pull our spirit down. It is time to awake and rise from our winter slumber.

My hope is, that even with the Easter season being a little later than normal, it will be a more appreciated time of awakening for all of our spirits.

God bless,

Mike Bowen