Tag Archive for: Ephesians 5:8

From Hiding to Joy

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Ephesians 5:8 — For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

The dinosaur pajama top had Eli trapped, and his mom was having a harder time getting it off than she expected.

Every tug made Eli squirm, and his frustration bubbled up in every little squeal. So she started hiding her face behind the shirt and popping out with a grin. “Peekaboo!”

Eli’s laughter erupted like tiny fireworks, and his two teeth shone in a gummy smile. His shirt tugged, the game continued, and suddenly peekaboo was everything to him.

Soon, it grew into hide-and-seek. Eli and his older sister, Maya, ran through the house in a blur of giggles and fun. Eli, thinking he was clever, crouched behind the couch careful not to be seen.

Maya would count, loud and patient, then creep forward, calling, “Where’s Eli?” Her voice danced around him. And just when he thought he had escaped, she’d leap from around the corner with a triumphant, “I got you!” and his laughter would erupt again, unstoppable.

Eli thought he was hidden, but of course, he wasn’t. He was visible all along.

Sitting on the couch, watching them, his mom felt a sudden pang and tenderness. She recognized this behavior. It reminded her of all the ways people, including herself, try to hide their own struggles, mistakes, pain, shame, and fear.

We tuck them away like they’re fragile treasures, hoping no one will notice. Hoping somehow we can escape being found. But God sees. People see. And hiding never heals. It only delays the comfort and connection that we’re wanting and needing all along.

She thought about Adam and Eve hiding in the garden. Even back then, God was asking where they were. He knew, but all along, it was a tender invitation back to love.

Eli’s laughter echoed again. Maya’s shout bounced off the walls. And in that moment, surrounded by sunlight and giggles and the smell of pancakes, Mom felt the truth: life is better when we are found. So come into the light.

Scripture says in Ephesians 5:8, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

So she leaned back and breathed in the noise, the chaos, the joy, the connection. Stop hiding, she thought. Let someone see. Let yourself be found.

Healing doesn’t start in secret. Healing starts in the laughter and the light. And when we finally stop hiding, the love that we wanted along can finally reach us.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What “hiding places” do you run to when you feel afraid, ashamed, or unworthy?
  • How does it change your view of God to remember that His call to “come into the light” is an invitation, not a condemnation?
  • When have you experienced the relief of being fully seen and still loved?
  • Who in your life might need your encouragement to “come into the light”?
  • What’s one small step you can take today to be more open—with God, with others, or even with yourself?
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Letting the Light In

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Ephesians 5:8 “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

You know that feeling when you walk into a room and wonder if anyone would still like you if they knew the whole story? That was me. Smiling. Friendly. Just fine. But only on the outside.

Shame is strange like that. It disguises itself—sometimes as strength, other times as silence. For years, I carried pieces of my story around like they were too broken or too messy to hand over to anyone else.

That’s why I almost skipped my church’s women’s retreat. I had a long list of excuses—too tired, too busy, not really up for small talk. But something nudged me to say yes. Maybe I just needed a break. Maybe I thought I’d leave feeling spiritually recharged.

The weekend started simple enough. Casual conversations. Iced coffee in hand. A few laughs over who snored the loudest. I figured I could get through this just fine without ever being seen too deeply.

Then one woman stood up and shared her story. She was just…honest. Through tears in her eyes she shared about sin in her life. About pain she had walked through. About what she needed God to do in her life that weekend.

It was so brave.

Then one by one other women began to open up too. I watched in awe as the community of women prayed over each lady, believing God for breakthrough.

I hadn’t planned to say anything. But when the moment came, I opened up about the shame and guilt I had been carrying for so long.

And when the women circled around me and prayed, I felt something I never expected to—relief. It was a risk to speak it out loud, to tell the truth without knowing how it would land. But instead of judgment, they met me with compassion. Some of them even had stories like mine.

With everything laid out in the open, it felt like light finally reached the places I thought God could never touch. I hadn’t even realized how badly I needed it or how long I had been carrying it all alone.

Shame and guilt had kept me from forgiving myself and moving forward. They had kept me silent. But that moment when I said it out loud for the first time, it didn’t break me. It freed me.

You do not have to hide your story to protect others or to prove you have moved on. That is not freedom. Freedom is walking into the light, even if your voice shakes. It is trusting that your story—honest and messy—is still worth telling. Because when we bring our past and our pain into the light, healing can finally begin.

And if you’re still carrying yours alone—I hope you’ll risk sharing it. Not because it’s easy. But because healing begins when silence ends.

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