The space is dark, its air is musty, its walls are closing in.

“Shhh!!” She pressed her finger to her lips. “You need to be quiet , don’t make a sound.”

You see the quickest of glance of her iris as the smallest piece of light filters through a crack in the wooden wall.
Afraid.
Your breath fills the deepest part of your lungs. Your stomach sinks.

“HE can hear you…”

And then you hear the foot steps.
One. Then another and another.
They are coming closer.

There is nowhere to go, in the dark cupboard you are boarded in. There is nowhere to hide. There is no place away from your fear of being found.

Together heartbeats are racing, whose is the loudest you’re not sure.
The footsteps are heavier. The fuddy is deeper the wooden floor planks creek under the weight of him who is coming.

No, you are cowering in fear. Now you are shaking with anticipation. You take a step back and another step back and your back is against the wooden wall. The pieces of wood that has been patched together with nails that are ragged. The palms of your hands spread behind you against the wood, and you can practically feel the tiniest of splinters poking at your fingertips.

And suddenly the wrestling begins with the door knob, the small round handle moves back-and-forth, and you know it’s too late.

This is it.

Suddenly you are blinded with the brightest of lights.
Suddenly the smallest of cupboard is filled with brightness.
🔆
“Daughter, why do you hide yourself from me?
Why do you hide in dark places. Why don’t you come out into my light.”

Father picks up your small hand and you take a step into the light. Into the most beautifulest of rooms.

You notice as you step into the room your dress of colour and embroidery, and your head turns to the cupboard. You notice it’s empty. Gone is the little girl who you found inside the dark pace.

“Come daughter, I have prepared a table for you. Let’s sit, let’s have some tea.”

Daddy pulls out a chair for you to sit on, and you do.

You take notice of the table, you finally see what he has placed upon it. Right in front of your chair.

A beautiful purple chocolate box.

“I laid this right here, because I knew where you would sit, and I wanted you to find it.” He smiles so gently, his gaze is so soft on your own.

“Go on, open it up. I want you to find what’s inside.”

The smallest of fingers reach forward, grasping and pulling the chocolate box. And you open it with a gasp.

The most beautiful array of joy sits before you. The most beautifully carved peace. The delicate taste of love. Wrapped up together all in one place.
Christ chocolates.

“ I was waiting here all this time for you. But you my darling girl, had placed yourself in a dark closet. But I was listening. I knew where you were, and I knew how to find you. Now just sit, let us enjoy our tea party come and taste the chocolates. Now you are here.”

Jeremiah 29:12

 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.