The Gloaming

The span between sunset and dark is one of my favorite times of day. I didn’t know it had a name until I heard it mentioned in a movie some years ago: the gloaming. It is that brief segment of time when transitions occur. The wind lies down, birds go to roost, nocturnal creatures begin stretching their legs and wings, crickets and frogs begin their evening chorus, streetlights brighten, and sweaters are donned. Day is over, but night isn’t quite here yet. It isn’t light enough to perform some tasks and is already too dark for others. Especially if you are outside, the gloaming provides a span of time perfect for stillness and meditation.

We often experience a personal gloaming. It is that span between the bright and the dark periods of our lives. You know—those times when life isn’t as grand as it could be, but also isn’t as dark as it can get. It’s as though God created a special moment for us to practice the discipline of being still. That’s just the kind of God He is!

Sometimes the gloaming shows up in life in unexpected ways—like sitting with an uncertain medical diagnosis. The doctor’s words may not yet hold answers, and the tests may not yet be clear. You’re caught in the in-between, not fully in the light of reassurance, but not plunged into the darkness of despair either. In that place, the gloaming becomes an invitation to rest in God’s presence, to trust that He is working even when clarity hasn’t yet arrived.

Psalm 46:10 — “Be still, and know that I am God…”

Exodus 14:14 — “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Psalm 37:7 — “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”

Psalm 62:5 — “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.”

Job 6:24 — “Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray.”