SO MANY VALLEYS! I find myself in the “Recovery Stage” of life, which comes after the “Warrior Stage”. The next stage is supposed to be the “Sage Stage”. Each comes with different challenges and victories. Last week in a recovery group, one lady shared how an immune system disorder suddenly changed her life and she has to “come to terms” with it. So too, with each life stage, we must reach a place of acceptance of a new normal, a place where we stop fighting circumstances, and by God’s grace and power, humbly and peacefully embrace all that He has or does not have for us.

Today as I pondered the changes in my life, an old hymn came to mind: All the way my Savior leads me; What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?  As we seek Him, GOD Himself guides us through life, through every valley, across every stream, and strengthens us to climb every mountain. A couple decades ago I journaled:

OH THESE VALLEYS!!  Another sleepless night leaves me physically and emotionally weak. Too many thoughts keep me wide awake. However, in those wee hours, the Shepherd reminded me, “As your days, so shall your strength be” (Deut 33:25), and “All things work together for good,” which right now I find hard to imagine. I don’t mind sleeplessness so much as it makes for a good time to talk with God and sort things through, but the missed-sleep collector comes around later and charges interest! Well, “later” is here, leaving me short changed on all accounts. As evening shadows again lengthen, I lean deeply into Him even though I did not move any mountains today, much less finish the dishes or the laundry. We do get through hard days by putting one foot in front of another. Perhaps it’s okay not to constantly and untiringly forge ahead on some mountainous project—now that’s a novel thought! 

Now, nearly twenty years later, too many thoughts still awaken me too early. Yet the Shepherd remains with me. I look back over some recent deep valleys and thank God for walking through them with me. His familiarity with every valley comforts me. He knows what being human is like because He became a human being.

As I think it over, I realize He felt every emotion we go through. He felt anger toward Pharisees and the temple money changers. He felt hurt by His disciples who doubted Him after witnessing all His miracles. He knew deep sadness and went to lonely places to meet with His Father. He felt gladness in relationships and was deeply troubled in the garden. He felt our guilt and shame on the cross as well as abandonment by His Father. He walked through the valley for us and now walks with us.

Isaiah tells us, He was despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief… Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows… But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed (Isa 53:3-5).

The psalmist writes about the loveliness of God’s dwelling place and how he longs, even faints for the courts of the Lord. His heart and flesh cry out for the living God. Then he acknowledges the blessedness of those whose strength is in the Lord, who’s hearts are set on pilgrimage.

To set our hearts on pilgrimage means we settle in for the long haul. On the way, we pass through the Valley of Tears. Yet, in that very place of sorrows, we can make it a place of springs. Our tears actually bring good things out of our trials just as rain brings fruitfulness out of the ground.

The psalmist goes on to say, The autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion… no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless (Christ made us blameless). LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You (Psa 84).

Oh to fully trust the One who calls us to follow Him through valleys. Though we must continue to “fight the good fight,” we only walk through the valley. It is not our permanent residence. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever (2Cor 4:17-18 NLT).

Yes, though we walk through the valley, His abiding presence went before us, now walks with us, and one day will give us a new perspective that vastly outweighs all our sorrows here on earth! Rejoice with me.

                FOCUS

When dark clouds move across my pane,
And hopes are drowned in drenching rain,
”When night seems like it’s far too long,
And doubts leave me without a song,

I fix my eyes on Jesus,
I fix them on His care,
I fix them on His promises,
For He is always there.

When strong winds blow my thoughts off course,
And great waves knock me back and forth,
When tough days leave me tired and worn,
My strength is gone; my heart is torn,

I fix my eyes on Jesus,
Who calms the wind and sea,
And by His grace I find sweet rest
From all anxiety.

When Jesus’ face is all I have,
And He anoints my eyes with salve,
Then glorious wonder! I can see
That Jesus eyes are fixed on me!

His eyes are on the sparrow,
He clothes the grassy lea,
But I’m the one for whom He died,
The child on His knee.

—MarJean S. Peters