They say that eyes are the windows of the soul, but a glazed over look can hide a lot of pain. Picking at a scab that formed from a knife to the heart is a path to darkness, but difficult it is to move beyond the being we have created. It is difficult to climb an icy slope because one never really gets their footing, and in Seth's case, he is trying to sprint a lifelong marathon up an arctic mountain. Changing has not been easy for Seth. Dead trees with deep roots penetrate every field of Seth's being, making it difficult to cultivate anything new. There is shame and sorrow in the life Seth has created that has veered far from the man he knows he can be. Memories of broken relationships cry out in the darkness, a temptress veiled in the image of a former love. Illusions are luring Seth away from the light masked in images of people Seth sacrificed his life to please. Shame is nothing more than chains that quietly clink every step one takes. They allow one to move toward the light, so the individual no longer is tormented by each rattle, but it never lets the person free. As far as shame can propel someone away from their sin, it never truly allows the person to get free. Because as the light feels within striking distance, then the chains gently lead one back to sorrow. Shame chains Seth to lies that he owes his life to those whose imperfection mirrors his own. Despite the hopeful walk to the light, Seth can never fully reach freedom because shame guides him back into darkness. But it is often subtle, for shame hides as new temptations. Perhaps Seth owes his ex a chance to explain herself. Redownloading social media will help him stay connected, what if a friend thinks he is ghosting? Perhaps Seth is close enough to the light to guide a beautiful girl out of the darkness. Without hesitation, Seth embraces the guidance of the chains back down a path that is far from the life he wants to live. In a shocking revelation, Seth begins to understand that the desire of evil is not just to keep Seth in the darkness, but to confuse him as to where the path is to the light. It is with subtle ideas whispered under the guise of truth that keep Seth from ever truly embracing the light. Faith that is shaken away from the pursuit of Christ-centric living is rarely executed through unbearable means. No, it is often done through a whisper of contradiction that seems to coincide with an element of truth, a grain of sand that clogs the gears of a clock and halts any progress from being made. Pondering this, Seth realizes distortion is more effective than disruption. If Satan can obstruct Seth's path, he can stop his pursuit for a moment, but if he can disorient Seth's mind by shaming his understanding of truth, he can prevent Seth from reaching the light in his lifetime. The sad fact some are unwilling to accept is there is still truth hidden in the darkness that too many are reluctant to find. Simply lighting a match will flood the deep caverns that protect the lies from the light. For Seth to go forward, he must purge his past but not packing it into a trunk tossed down into a void. For as light penetrates every crevasse of Seth's soul, his pain will be exposed once again. To truly move forward, he must take the trunk and toss it into the light. Then that evil will be removed and forgotten, freeing Seth's path to the light.