By Danny Minton

For months, excitement has built up for the Total Solar Eclipse to take place on April 8^th, which will be seen by a large portion of the contiguous United States. It will be another 20 years before the mainland of the United States will have another Total Eclipse pass over its borders. All along the path of the eclipse, lodging places are being booked up, and restaurants are filling their storage rooms with supplies for the expected thousands of people who will travel to get a view of an eclipse that many will never have a chance to see again. Some places are planning festivals, and others are gearing up for eclipse parties. 

I’m ready, even though we are only expected to see a 96.6% magnitude eclipse in Abilene. I stopped by my internet provider, which was giving out free eclipse glasses to customers for the event and picked up a couple for my wife and me. I plan to join the millions of others for the 3-4 minute show the sun and moon will provide.

Unfortunately, the event could be a disappointment, causing some to fear it will be a billion-dollar flop. For much of the area to be covered by the shadow, it is predicted that the weather may not cooperate, and clouds will obscure the view. Several places have a prediction of stormy weather moving in on the 7^th and hanging around until the 8^th. Weather is something we can’t control, so many places are keeping their fingers crossed that, for those few minutes, the clouds will part and let the event be viewed. Some places will likely feel the excitement, while others will only experience the disappointment of what could have been.

However, the eclipse will happen, clouds or no clouds. For a few minutes, it will get dark and then become light again. Even if we cannot see the sun and moon, we’ll know the eclipse is happening. The following day, we’ll look to the east and be thankful that the light and warmth our sun provides is present whether we see it or not.

Life is full of moments of excitement and times of disappointment. We cherish those times when things are going great and make us excited about what lies ahead. We laugh and enjoy our good fortune. But how do we handle those times when things turn down the road of disappointment? Can we still see the light when it seems to be hidden from us? Paul encouraged the Philippian church on how to handle those anxious times when things weren’t going well. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB)

At the end of the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus sends his eleven disciples out into the world. He knows there will be trials they face. He understands that there will be disappointments. But he wants them to realize that even when life seems cloudy and dim, the light is still present to help them. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.:” Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB)

In “The Visited Planet,” J.B. Phillips tells the story of a senior angel leading a younger angel around the universe before stopping to view the earth during the final days of Jesus’ life. Toward the end of the story, the senior angel comforts the younger angel’s disappointment after seeing Christ crucified.

“In utter blackness, the Earth turned round three times, and then there blazed with unbearable radiance a point of light. ‘What now?’ asked the little angel, shielding his eyes. ‘They killed Him all right, but He conquered death. The thing most of them dread and fear all their lives He broke and conquered. He rose again, and a few of them saw Him and from then on became His utterly devoted slaves.’ ‘Thank God for that,’ said the little angel. ‘Amen. Open your eyes now, the dazzling light has gone. The Prince has returned to His Home of Light. But watch the Earth now.’ As they looked, in place of the dazzling light there was a bright glow which throbbed and pulsated. And then, as the Earth turned many times, little points of light spread out. A few flickered and died, but for the most part, the lights burned steadily, and as they continued to watch, in many parts of the globe there was a glow over many areas. ‘You see what is happening?’ asked the senior angel. ‘The bright glow is the company of loyal men and women He left behind, and with His help, they spread the glow and now lights begin to shine all over the Earth.’ ‘Yes, yes,’ said the little angel impatiently, ‘but how does it end? Will the little lights join up with each other? Will it all be light, as it is in Heaven?’ His senior shook his head. ‘We simply do not know,’ he replied. ‘It is in the Father’s hands. Sometimes, it is agony to watch, and sometimes, it is joy unspeakable. The end is not yet.”

Our lives are not defined by the disappointments we encounter but by our ability to see beyond them. We have the vision to recognize that beyond the disappointments, there is something more precious: the ever-present light of Jesus. This light is not obscured by shadows, clouds, doubts, or disappointments. As the children’s song reminds us, it’s a light that can’t be hidden under a bushel. It always shines.

Danny Minton is a former Elder and minister at Southern Hills Church of Christ