By DR. GLENN MOLLETTE

Guest Columnist

The only way to get out of the darkness is to follow the light. Sometimes it’s just a very faint light. Often you have to be in the darkness long enough to refocus your eyes so that you can look for a glimmer of light to follow out of the darkness.

Darkness is never enjoyable. Often it’s a long valley that seems hopeless and inescapable. There are different forms of darkness such as poverty, failing health, family difficulties, work dissatisfaction, discord in your relationships, failures of all kinds and the list goes on. You may have been there or you may be there now. You may not see any way out and may have given up to just try to survive the darkness of your life and existence.

The worst feeling of all is the feeling of hopelessness. Hopelessness is when we see no way out or no chance of things getting better. We go to the doctor with hopes of medical treatment. We go to work in hopes of financially caring for ourselves and the people we love. Sometimes we seek other kinds of help in hopes that an addiction or other life altering habit might be solved so that we might be freed to be at peace with life.

I read this a long time ago and claim it every day in different ways. Walk in the light while you have the light before darkness overtakes you. Throughout life I’ve learned if I walked in the light that I had then I usually would receive more light.

When I was a kid we had a light bulb in the ceiling of most every room. There would be a long string attached to the little silver chain that would pull the switch and turn on the light. Throughout my childhood I often would go into a dark bedroom at night and search for that dangling string. Finding that string was a relief because it turned on the light. A room with light was much easier to navigate than a dark room.

Often we look for the dangling string for a long time to turn on the light. Sometimes we eventually find it and sometimes people never do. Some people live in desperation of trying to find the dangling string while others simply gave up a long time ago.

I tried for years to break through in publishing a book. I was about ready to give up when one morning I was reading the daily newspaper and read one sentence in that newspaper that turned on the light. I now have 12 books and have helped numerous others. Following that one sentence of light gave way to more light that enabled me to see the way to numerous other endeavors and projects. Following that light showed me the way that I needed at that time.

There is something to this old saying that is true, “Let us not grow weary in doing good. We will reap a harvest if we don’t quit.” Another truth that I have heard is, “Believe in the light while you have the light so that you may become children of light.”

I don’t know what you are dealing with today but don’t quit. It’s easier said than done, I know. However, maybe, if you hang in there and keep your head up and your hand stretching out in front of you, then just maybe, you will feel the string dangling in the darkness.

Glenn Mollette is a syndicated columnist and author of 11 books. He is read in all 50 states. Visit www.glennmollette.com. Contact him at GMollette@aol.com. Like his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/glennmollette.