“I can’t do this anymore. I am not doing anything good here.” I spoke my words out loud into the darkness that seemed to envelope me, surrounding me, crushing me. Everywhere I looked there was just more darkness. Everyone fighting and arguing and being—well . . . mean. Like the entire world had gone back to second grade with a degree in being a bully. I could no longer find quiet. I could no longer find peace. It seemed the dark was winning, and I wasn’t even making a dent no matter how kind or generous or loving I was. All of the negativity was starting to seep into my very soul and I felt . . . suffocated.

I shook my fist at the sky in frustration. “Why did you bring me here!?” I screamed. “Why did you do this knowing there was nothing I could do to change any of it?” I fell to my knees in exhaustion as the last breath I had in me was sucked from me in my own anger.

A soft breeze blew through my hair as I felt the change above me. I looked up to see the darkness begin to fall away as the most beautiful light tore across the sky.

“You easily forget.” The voice boomed around me, inside me, through me. “You so easily forget the impact one small light can have.”

I watched as the streak captured the sky around it and held it until it glowed.

“Not today,” I said. “I will not give up today.”