Shadow Tag

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will abide in the shadow of the Almighty."
Psalm 91:1



Recently one of my students asked me to play shadow tag with him. He was skipping and jumping, joyful that after many days without sunshine, there was finally light to create shadows. I happily obliged and watched as he giddily searched to hide in shadows, so his shadow could not be seen. There is a true dichotomy to this scenerio.

Generally, we choose not to allow ourselves to be in the shadows. We tolerate it when the Lord places our lives in the shadows, we wait, seeking searching, praying our Christian lives will BE the light. However, when found in someone's shadow, the connotation is that we are overlooked while another gets recognition. We think of shadows being dark places of danger. Trolls, spiders and sorted characters are found lurking in shadows. Psalm 23 speaks to the "valley of the shadow of death". Yet, scripture confirms that we are safe in the shadow of our almighty savior.

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7

Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings Psalm 17:8

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed. Psalm 57:1

Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.Psalm 63:7

In the actions of one little boy, I was reminded of the beauty of the shadow. Thought the shadows can be sad places, they are the places where the Lord does His most magnificent works. He blends seamlessly the darkness of our shadow times with the light of His love to transform lives and give us hope for His glory.

Do not be discouraged by the shadows that creep into our lives. Embrace them and allow the Lord to do His magnificent works. The Lord uses these times to bring vision out of darkness, song out of silence and peace out of suffering. Allow yourself to hide safely in His shadows, that yours may be illuminated by His light.

Tag, you're it!