I don’t remember being afraid of the dark as a child. My fear at bedtime was that I would miss out on the fun that took place after I went to bed.

There is a darkness that I have come to fear as an adult - not a physical darkness, although the penetrating darkness of a cave will make the most brave person cringe at the palpable void of light.

No, what I fear is spiritual darkness. It is a darkness that creeps into all aspects of our lives. It is gradual and deceptive. We dismiss the warnings that we are leaving the light. The first time it is harder to ignore, but as we get closer to the darkness, the twinges on our conscience quiet and we get more and more comfortable with shades of gray.

This is the darkness I fear for myself and for others - a darkness that is hard to recognize unless we are constantly walking in the light.

We are not likely to wake up in the morning and decide to live a day in darkness - physical or spiritual darkness. It is a process of slipping into a relationship or a lifestyle that draws us away from the light.

When we have become accustomed to the darkness, the light is blinding and we reject the source of life and warmth. My prayer for Transformational Tuesday is that we be transformed by the light.

“Everything exposed by the light becomes visible — and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.” (Eph. 5:13)