“Each entry sings with one theme: Christ is present. And it is this present God we can trust to sustain us, draw us closer, and sanctify us, no matter what.” –Sojourners Magazine

“Particularly in this time of difficulty and grieving, this compilation floods the shadows with the light of our risen Lord without condescending or contrition. Rather, the twenty-two women of faith–Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant–describe in concrete stories their own epiphanies and encounters with God, offering sincere and simple ways to contemplate the words of scripture.” –The Unmooring Journal

“If you’re looking for a devotional that paints real life pictures, I highly recommend this one. It’s set up for nine weeks of reading but would be good for Advent. These Orthodox women display such grace and beauty in the darkness, even as they long for deliverance. The way God meets them in these pages… I want that.” – Traci Rhoades, Author of Not All Who Wander (Spiritually) Are Lost

About the Book

In the beautifully illustrated and highly acclaimed devotional Darkness is as Light, twenty-two established and emerging Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant women authors bear witness to help readers see God with them in suffering, recognize hope in the hardest of experiences, and learn to reach sideways in the darkness to those companions who are alongside them in their struggles.

A Compassionate Women’s Devotional for Persisting in Hard Places

Every Christian woman encounters resistance to knowing God during times of trial, whether from external sources like death, abuse, illness, and the economy, or from her inner struggles for holiness in the context of a womanly body. While most devotionals avoid talking about the hard places in life, Darkness is as Light highlights moments of revelation and companionship with God and the saints in the midst of suffering.

In nine weeks of narrative devotions, twenty-two faithful Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christian women bear witness to God with them in hard places. These insightful stories grounded in scripture and tradition hold out hope to women going through difficult times, including:

Surviving spousal abuse

Surviving childhood abuse

Suffering miscarriages

Enduring poverty

Going through depression

Experiencing grief

Feeling shamed

Learning to revive after prolonged caretaking

Living with illnesses and disabilities

Being overcome by bodily processes

Feeling out of control

Questioning God

Darkness is as Light is a poignant gift for readers in times of hardship who need a reminder that God sees them and is with them in their suffering. It empowers those who feel lost in their mourning, burdens, or shame to know that they are not alone and to recognize the healing, freeing presence of Christ right where they are. Inside you’ll find:

High contrast illustrations inspired by Gothic Christian women mystics

Poetry to introduce each week of devotions

Themes drawn from traditional women’s spirituality that pairs joy and suffering: Provision, Sweetness, Healing, Death, Balm, Help, Trial, Consolation, and Closeness

When we experience suffering, it can be easy to think that we are caught in a closed net of loneliness and isolation. Though we will inevitably encounter hardship, Darkness is as Light bears witness to the freedom we have in Christ even in the midst of our struggles, for our darkness is as light to God.

More of What Reviewers Are Saying

“WE ARE LIVING in dark times. A perfectly timed and distinctive new devotional, Darkness is as Light, wrestles with the dark, and from its many entries emerges a clear chronicle of the real power and meaning of God’s grace for us even—especially—in the dark. Each entry sings with one theme: Christ is present. And it is this present God we can trust to sustain us, draw us closer, and sanctify us, no matter what.” –Julie Vassilatos, reviewer for Sojourners Magazine

“It is beautifully curated by Summer Kinard and contains little deeply honest gems of encouragement, hope, and the wisdom that comes of hard-earned life experience.” –Miss Bates Reads Romance 

“This collection of reflections written by 22 different women explores the complexities of life, death, faith, and doubt with a winsome honesty.” – Charlotte Donlon, Author of The Great Belonging