Hello, my Kindreds.

As you delve into this month’s deep dive topic, I am praying for you. The Dark Night of the Soul is a heavy subject, but one I felt was necessary to lead with since Kindred Abbey was born out of the dark night of my own soul.

As you read and learn about this phenomenon in a Christian’s life, I would like to offer you insight from my own experience, and from others who have gone before me.

If you aren’t sure if you or someone you know are currently in a dark night, or desert season as it is sometimes called, these articles are intended to inform and encourage. They will help you evaluate if you are battling depression, simply enduring a difficult season, or experiencing a true dark night of the soul.

Not every difficult season is a dark night. Sometimes we just have trials. Other times there is a particular quality to the trials we face that are spiritual in nature rather than circumstantial. If your spiritual life is dry and your connection to God weak, that could be a sign of a dark night of the soul.

If you recognize the dark night of the soul is upon you, be encouraged. I remember feeling tremendous relief when I realized what I was experiencing was a dark night and I wasn’t losing my faith. It was painful, and it felt like it would never end. The secret to surviving it is knowing that God himself is drawing you into this season in order to draw you closer to him.

I’ll say that again. God is at the helm of the dark night of the soul. It’s not a punishment, it’s an invitation.

For me, the best words I ever heard were from a seasoned Christian. She told me that it was going to be dark, and it would feel like it was going on and on, but it would end in something good.

Today, on the other side of the dark night, I can say that is true. The journey was painful. God took me back to a trauma I thought that I had dealt with, but I had just pasted religious bandaids over an oozing wound. Then he walked me through facing that trauma and healed me in every way so that I could be here today, encouraging other hurting women. Encouraging you.

I pray you will feel that hope and encouragement. I trust you found your way here because God wants to heal you and for you to experience his love in ways you can’t even imagine right now.

In quietness and trust,
Ericka

Quick links to articles in this series:

What is the Dark Night of Soul? 

What is the Christian meaning of the Dark Night of the Soul?

Why does the Dark Night of the Soul Happen?

How to Survive the Dark Night of the Soul