Boy in the Attic

How many people actually still blog out there?

When Shadows Prove the Sunshine is inspired by a song by Switchfoot called The Shadow Proves the Sunshine. I always felt like Switchfoot wrote songs exclusively for me. Every theme and emotion that go into their songs are always things that I am going through or have been through; things that provoke me, things that excite me; things that I see going wrong in this world, and changes I hope to see brought to this world. The Shadow Proves the Sunshine is no exception. It paints a picture of darkness, gloom, even despair, only to turn it around by exclaiming that the only reason shadows exist, is because there is light that we cannot see beyond an obstructing object, light so bright, light so infinite. That is comforting.

Today was my very first Saturday spent here on campus since classes started. I spent my whole day in my dorm. It wasn’t exactly my idea of a perfect Saturday, and that made me slightly depressed, even lonely. (I am very grateful for some friendly people that I have met here. I wouldn’t say that I have no friends here, but it’s painfully different when you don’t have a clique of friends you can spend your weekend with naturally and without any pressure). Then I came across something on Facebook that inspired me. It was a challenge someone had set for himself during his break - to provoke creativity by posting something meaningful and inspiring on Facebook everyday. If his challenge succeeded in doing only one thing, it would be that it inspired me.

Psalm 91 is a Psalm that my mom chose for me since the day I was born. It sounds a little like this.

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”

…

¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

My God has always been faithful to me, even when I always doubted His faithfulness during hard times. I know that He holds my world in His hands, and I need only to listen and obey.

My hope is that this blog will continue to be an outlet for me to provoke creativity within myself. I wish to see the world in a broader perspective, to question things, to inspire, to allow my faith to grow, to allow myself to grow, to voice my disappointments, to glorify God in my triumphs.

I am a firm believer of visuals and sounds and how they touch emotions much more than mere words. Unfortunately I am no photographer, I don’t even own a proper camera. However, I still hope to share pictures that have personal meanings to me through other sources.

This was a picture shown during ccf (campus christian fellowship) on Wednesday. In many ways I feel like that boy. It feels like I am trapped in an attic, where darkness and loneliness surrounds. But also in this attic is a magical picture that God has revealed. He is saying, “Equip yourself and let me take you on a journey. You can’t see the end yet, but I have revealed this picture for a purpose, so that you might step out in faith and follow me. “

For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Right now I still feel the dark of the shadow (sometimes, not all the time), but I know that it will continue to get better day by day. This shadow is a sweet reminder that Jesus, the light of the world, is beyond this darkness, shining upon me ever so brightly and graciously.

This is Switchfoot, it’s called Always.