The Violet Hour

Violet sky over the Queen Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace, London

At the violet hour, when the 

eyes and back 

turn upward from the desk 

when the human engine waits.

-T.S. Eliot

Do you ever feel thwarted in all the things you try? The human desire for instant gratification takes the top step, but you know you need to shove that desire down the steps and keep patience and faith up there instead.

Faith is our assurance of what is to come, in times of uncertainty and confusion. I am almost certain of all my uncertainty. "The violet hour", as T.S. Eliot writes, is like the period of waiting and lingering. Like violet skies that linger on the darkest of nights, the human soul also has a time of waiting. Yet you don't know what is moving behind the scenes. God is getting the sunrise ready. The preparation for that first glimmer of light to cast the glow on the horizon. Evidence of movement is invisible to us, but it's all slowly developing. Psalm 27.14 tells us to "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Here is the truth: I know God loves me and has my best intentions at heart. The Bible tells of this all over the place. God knows what I need; He knows my desires, and His plans are the best symphonic compilation of those things. All I need to do is listen to the music He is creating for me, and follow that music. Then I won't feel thwarted in all that I want to do. A beautiful thing will happen- my desires for my life will align with God's.