This past weekend was quite a memorable one for me.  A date night is always a treat, but my husband and I actually managed to have two date nights in a row.  Both evenings were awesome, but the second night had an unusual twist to it that I would like to share.

We went on a double date with our friends to celebrate a birthday milestone.  We started our night off with some delicious Mediterranean Food and then walked over to a tiny independent theater in our downtown area.  We had never been before and the place had such a fun vibe.  It only seats 24 people and the refreshment bar is in the same room as the theater.  They serve Coca-Cola in the vintage bottles, popcorn in a big silver tin and dish up candy in a white paper sack.  We were seated in the front row and ready to watch a series of Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films.  I have a soft spot for Short Films, but that’s a post for another day.

The first movie was a touching film from Denmark, the second was a thought-provoking short from the UK, the third was a suspense-thriller from France, and the fourth was just horrific.  I’m of the opinion that you do not have to explicitly show something to get the general idea of the subject matter.  Clearly, the Writer/Director of this Spanish short film does not feel the same as I do.  I like how the review on CraveOnline puts it in regards to That Wasn’t Me, “the film’s flagrant messaging and shock tactics leave it feeling sleazy, and coated with a discomforting goo. Not the kind of grotesque veneer you’d expect and want from a film about the horrors of child soldiers in Africa…”  In the middle of one of the more disturbing scenes, my husband got up and left the theater.  My friend’s husband immediately followed him.  Then, my friend and I followed as well.  We all knew why my husband got up and left and I think we were all a little upset at ourselves for not walking out sooner.  We agreed that we needed to go find something upbeat to do in an effort to recover from what we had all just witnessed on the screen.  The night ended with some fascinating people-watching in a local restaurant while dining on churros and ice-cream.  All was well in the end.

Now, I told you all of that, to tell you this.  The images from that movie did not leave my mind.  I tried to inundate myself with scripture reading, Facebook, praying, Pinterest delights and the like to dull the memory of the graphic scenes I watched.  My methods helped, but I slept awful the first night and spent most of the second day trying to redirect my thoughts onto something positive.  As I was working so hard to bring peace back in to my mind, I got to thinking about people that can’t just walk out of the movie theater and seek out light.

Some people are not as fortunate as I am to live in a home that has joy and peace.  Many have to live in dark circumstances with constant negative influences.  This reminded me of a story I read by Susan Wyman where she was sharing her struggle with family discord.  Then, she had this thought about being in complete darkness and imagined herself lighting a tiny birthday candle.  Wyman says, “It seemed so insignificant, yet the power of that minuscule light was enough to displace the blackness…The quantity of darkness surrounding us in the world simply does not matter.  Light is eternal and is vastly more powerful than darkness.”  Her words ring true to me.

All these thoughts reminded me of my New Year’s Resolution for a Bright New Year.  I’m blessed to live in a healthy environment, but that doesn’t mean I cannot make it brighter.  Or perhaps strive to bring more light to those that are not as fortunate?  I think more than anything this week, I wanted readers to reflect on whether or not they are living among the light or darkness?  If the light, share it with those around you and cherish the gift that you hold.  If you find yourself walking in darkness, have faith that your own light is ‘enough to displace the blackness.’  And, if possible, do as my husband did and walk out of the darkness and seek the light.