In Chapter 6 (“Light for Dark Nights of the Soul”) of The Power of a Whisper, Pastor Bill Hybels relates some dark nights he experienced early in Willow Creek’s church history. Willow Creek Community Church was 4 years old and had embarked on a building program that stretched church finances. At the same time various staff members had wandered off God’s path and faithful volunteers were not getting along with each other. In addition, Pastor Hybels’ inexperience created unnecessary and unwise actions that perpetuated the problems.
One day things came to a head. Bill came home, bypassed dinner, and spent the entire night prostrate on the carpeted floor of the family room in prayer and confession. Around 5 AM he received God’s whisper. That whisper is equally instructive for us as we traverse our desert, transitional Land Between time following our ministry downsizing or position loss. God told Pastor Hybels:
“I want you to get up, go to work, put one foot in front of the other and remember that I am with you today. Tomorrow, I want you to do the same thing again. We’re going to get through this together, Bill, but it will only happen one day at a time.”
