If you’ve ever experienced the process of developing prints in a darkroom, then you know what I mean when I say, “Other worldly.” At first, you are enshrouded in complete darkness. You use your hands and feet in exaggerated movements to enable you to maneuver around obstacles and objects in your way. After a few minutes, your eyes begin to adjust and where you once thought your sense of sight was useless, you start to see. You find your way to an enlarger, then tenderly remove your negatives out of their plastic encasing, holding the strand as delicately as if it were sacred parchment from some ancient civilization. You place it in the negative carrier and slip it under the light. Then the real work begins. You adjust and readjust; you focus and refocus; you get brighter, then darker until finally you are ready to print. Time is no longer. You are completely absorbed in the loving work of the artist. You develop.
In much the same way, we as children of God feel like we are sometimes shrouded by darkness, but with stumbling and unsure steps, we faithfully move forward into the dark. Then the shape of things eventually starts to become clear. Where we once thought our sense of sight was useless, we start to see. We adjust and readjust; we focus and refocus; and we are immersed in the art of developing. We are absorbed in the loving work of our Artist. A new picture emerges—a more perfect version of ourselves.