Monsters Under the Bed

Remember when you were little, you’d been tucked into bed, the lights were out…and you were SURE something was hiding under the bed? You could hear it breathing, were sure it was drooling, and you KNEW that it had its fangs bared, ready to gobble you up. You could hardly breathe and were too scared to cry out. You definitely weren’t going to put your feet on the floor to run out the door because that assured you would instantly be grabbed and dragged under the bed to certain death.

You tried to talk yourself out of it – tell yourself it wasn’t real…but imagination is powerful, paralyzing. Eventually, you’d manage to squeak out a call to your parents or babysitter. They would come in, discover your terror, turn the lights on and show you the truth – no monsters were hiding under your bed. They’d calm your fears, tuck you back in and say goodnight again, this time leaving the door cracked and the hall light on to let the light dispel the darkness. With light shining in, you weren’t afraid. Peace came over you and you could drift off to sleep knowing you were safe because monsters couldn’t hide in the light.

Even as adults, we’re still terrified of monsters – they simply come in a different form. No longer are they hiding under our beds, but inside our minds. Our minds can be dark places and darkness only breeds more darkness. Things look so different in the dark. An innocent shadow can appear to be a living source of imminent danger waiting for the opportune time to make its move; a sudden noise confirmation that it’s about to take place. Then, when we finally awaken in the morning and light floods the room, fear has left us and we realize just how silly we were the night before.

Because of our pasts, many of us have hidden monsters that no one else has seen or known about, but they speak their lies to our minds, paralyzing us with fear and leaving us unable to cry out for help.  We think that if others knew the truth, they would never see us the same again. They would reject or abandon us entirely because the truth makes us too ugly to love, so no one can know it. The monster of shame has come and torn us to shreds with its razor-sharp teeth.

Think about it, though. When you come into a dark room and turn on the light, it dispels the darkness and darkness can no longer fill that space. Did you know that God is personified as LIGHT?

• “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1a)
• “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)
• “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (I John 1:5)

Did you know that He calls us out of darkness and into the light? “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9, emphasis mine)

Here’s the thing with God – we feel like we need to cry out for help because we’re trapped in darkness with monsters under the bed, but God is actually taking the initiative and proactively calling us out of it and into the light. We don’t have to ask for a rescue, He’s already there and He’s the light Who is able to dispel the darkness for good.

How I wish it were as easy as simply flipping on a light switch…Here’s the hardest part in my mind. We need to actually be willing to respond to His call, which means we need to allow His voice to become louder than the voices of the monsters telling us lies. Lies that would seek to isolate us from others, keep things hidden, cause us to live in shame and paralyze us from taking the first step to come out of the darkness and into the light.

That first step can be terrifying and can feel incredibly costly, as if you’re going to lose everything dear to you. It requires bravery and courage. Even though God is the embodiment of light and He’s calling you out of darkness, you may need to squeak out a cry for help and allow those who love you to come be God’s unconditional love in tangible form, turning on the light on for you and showing you that the light has chased away the monsters. Let those people surround you.

We also need to be willing to let go. There are some who simply shine a RAY of light into the darkness. They want to leave it, but choose stay in the shadows, held there by shame and guilt. They cling to the monsters, unwilling to let them go because they’re familiar to them. Even if they chase them away, they somehow miss them and invite them back. They want them to go, but they may not fully believe in the goodness and love that can be found in the light, that those would be enough to bring healing, acceptance and love, so they cling to that which they know. Somehow, that feels safer for them, without any risk or need to be courageous. They "need" their monster.

Recently, I’ve been allowing God to shine His light into darkness of my own, kicking out monsters that have lived under my bed for far too long. I can tell you that He IS able and through the pain, a depth of grace and peace has rested on me like I’ve never experienced before and I’ve discovered beauty within because of it. Truth has finally been able to illuminate my mind and there is freedom in my soul. I KNOW that I am a beloved daughter, adored by my Father, and I am reveling in the love that He’s pouring out on me. I delight Him and He has brought “my soul out of prison, that I may praise His name; the righteous have surrounded me, for He has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 142:7, paraphrased)

My heart is that you, too, would be able to drive out and let go of the monsters under your bed, discovering the same freedom I’ve found. Be brave. Let His light shine into the darkness and if you need help, let me know. I’d love to surround you with His love. Trust me – monsters can’t hide in the light.