Nights Void of Darkness

By J.E. Klimek

Ever ask, "Why did this happen?" Ever wonder, “What’s the point?”

J.E. Klimek’s Nights Void of Darkness views the darkest tunnels of life to find what flares may shine before the end. This compilation of testimonies, prose, and poetry reveals hidden hopes and where our true battles lie.

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Harbor Press
• Release date: Mar 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386860655

J.E. Klimek

J.E. Klimek graduated from The Master’s University to then pursue his passion in poetry. While obtaining an M.F.A., he helps those struggling in trials of depression. He encourages many to see the world from an angle uncovering new rewards in our own life experiences.

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Nights Void of Darkness

Nights Void of Darkness

J.E. Klimek

Nights Void of Darkness

New Harbor Press

www.newharborpress.com

Copyright © 2016 by J.E. Klimek.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: Fighting the Right War

My First Night: A Worst-Case Scenario

My Second Night: Prayer’s Enigma

My Third Night: Never Hope Less

My Fourth Night: Flooding Darkness

My Fifth Night: A New Star of Hope

Inter-Mission: A Dawning

The First Revelation: Fighting an Old Opponent

The Second Revelation: Assurance of Hope

The Third Revelation: The Gift Finally Opened

The Fourth Revelation: No Longer Seized

Conclusions: Ending a Lunar Eclipse

Psalm 139:11–12 (ESV)

If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,

and the light about me be night,"

even the darkness is not dark to You;

the night is bright as the day,

for darkness is as light to You.

Romans 8:28: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

2 Cor. 12:7-10: So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

INTRODUCTION

FIGHTING THE RIGHT WAR

Iwas recently spoiling myself with too much Chinese for lunch. When I split my fortune cookie, it read, There will always be delightful mysteries in your life. I had to make sure it did not have my name on the back.

The mysteries that have either been solved, are being solved, or have a long way to go before their questions are even known are what led to me writing this. It is a testimony and a cautionary tale. I shared my testimony a few times as I grew up, but, every time, I find the tale, lessons, and its refinement continue to grow. But, more importantly, there are pieces to it I have left out, or simplified, out of fear of rejection or even judgment. I am now beginning to put this into writing, uncertain if it will get out there very far. Yet, I feel it is my obligation to do my best. God ignited my heart with a desire to bring my brethren together, hopefully pull some onto a better path, and make sure we are all fighting the war we’re in. In order to start, I had to write this.

There are some I know who hate to think of it as a war. War is a matter of life and death. If this is why many try to avoid that way of thinking, I hope they will realize what we are in is a matter of life and death on an eternal scale. If you are one of those always bothered by that title, do not let such a description scare or worry you—we have God as our commander. Instead, may it motivate you.

The majority of this book will be my testimony and what it has revealed to me. It will explain where I came from and where God led me. Some will disagree with, or be against, some of the things I talk about—please remember, I started in the same place. I am not trying to change their minds. Instead, I hope to bring more of my brothers and sisters to the same side despite differing views.

There are also two sides to what I will be putting inside each chapter. I chose to use multiple tools following some of Christ’s example—primarily my testimony and parables.

God has taught me much in my life. Sadly, I was stubborn enough He had to keep using miracles to make me listen. There are many lessons we all hear repeatedly if we go to church. Romans 8:28 (part of one of my favorite passages) is a great example. However, I have learned from what God has done in my life that many passages (this one in particular) have far more to them than we will usually consider.

Each struggle we go through will teach us a lesson. But, just as our every mistake will have multiple repercussions, each occurrence within God’s plan will have multiple benefits.

Of what this taught, the most important thing for me personally is faith. It is a part of Christianity that Paul lists among the most important (faith, hope, and love), yet I find that few take it much further than in their acceptance of Christ. It was under that mindset that I grew up, even though plenty tried to show me there was more. I hope to share what He has taught me about faith.

For too long I was strong and firm in one aspect, but I later learned there was another side to the coin. We need the faith of both trust and belief.

I will begin each night of my testimony with a cautionary tale (parable). They come from an allegory of what I have been learning a great deal about in this world’s deceit, the normal Christian isolation, and the warzone we live in, yet ignore.

Creative writing is something I studied in college, and I am currently working on my MFA degree in writing. As I do this, one piece I cannot stop working on is one I started in college. It is a fantasy series I was trying to use as a simple story with a few lessons. It became much more over the years. I don’t know that I will ever publish it. Right now, it is something I only write for myself because of what it has become.

In the process, I ended up creating two characters (one in particular) I thought would be minor or brief parts of the story, but God used them to teach me who I had been, who I was, and who I should be aiming to become.

First, I would like to introduce you to a dragon I created named Wraythen. Wraythen is a creature not of our world. It can be your worst enemy, or your greatest ally. I originally meant for it to be a metaphor for wrath, but it turned out to have many more layers. It is not as far from the kind of animal we see in our world as one might expect—I have always pictured a komodo dragon, only add wings—but in my novel as well as life, it has become a reminder of what I have learned to avoid and to pursue.

My second friend is a tree named Keborra. Keborra is a guardian of an area within another realm that is cherished. Though this is a much more minor character, it has become a very prominent one for me. It guards a large area and controls the forests around it to use other plants as its tools.

These two characters both exist within these other worlds symbolic, in a sense, of the spiritual in relation to the physical. I will be sharing some of Wraythen and Keborra’s stories and creations to go into some of the questions that I have had to battle with—and still do. I find they often teach me much about myself that I never noticed before. I hope they can help explain what these trials were like, and what they showed me.

As things are coming in pairs, I have two primary reasons for writing this. The main reason became my hope to encourage more Christians to set aside the differences in a few of our varied denominations and do what we were called to do. Not because we don’t already but because of how many times I see the focus grow too centered around issues that should not be considered worth fighting over.

The other reason is what makes it hardest for me to share this. Yet, this is why I must. I am writing this not just because I want to share it, not to try and convince others of what I am hoping to do and believe (on the more insignificant topics), nor am I hoping for recognition (I almost would prefer none). Instead, I am writing this because I recently learned that I was in denial of what God is trying to do in my life.

For I have come