Valley
Right now, in my part of the world, we are experiencing a drought. It’s been tough, with rising costs on EVERYTHING it takes to run our farm. The drought just felt like the final nail in the coffin for our season. My go to behavior during these times is to get very discouraged and woeful and shaking my fist at God. You guys, I am so tempted to get deep into a pity party. Just reveling in feeling sorry for myself. To sit in my valley with my sackcloth and heaping ashes on myself. “What did we do WRONG God?!?! Why us?!?!” In my Valley there is only darkness.
Growing up in church, the term valley was always negative. Always associated with Psalm 23:4 which says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” In MY mind, and I think for a lot of Christians, valley is ALWAYS in the shadow of death. Therefore, valleys are always to be avoided at all costs. But…should you find yourself in a valley, God is there and hopefully you’re getting out soon.
It is reassuring knowing that when we are in our lowest point whether it is spiritually, physically or emotionally, we have nothing to fear and we will be comforted. Such good news. Yet, what if we started to frame “valley” differently for ourselves?
When I picture a valley, I picture hills and mountains rising around me. I can’t take in a lot of scenery because my view is blocked. Our focus is sharpened there. We are less distracted by everything else going on. We see our immediate surroundings. The only place to look for an unblocked view is up. To our Father.
I asked my husband, a farmer, about valleys. He told me he could never understand the negative connotation because there is so much growth there. Resources are gathered in the valley. It is where water pools. It is where vegetation can be lush and plentiful. Valley can be the place where while we rest and look to God, we can be refreshed, replenished AND grow. We can take in the fruit of the valley knowing there is plenty. We find our nourishment here.
When looking through The Bible there are a lot of valleys where battles were fought. One of the most famous victories took place in a valley. It is where David beat Goliath. The Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17). There will be times when our enemy will strategize to beat us in the valley. But it is the place where they will be defeated.
What I am trying to say here is that we don’t have to meet our valleys with a depressed resignation. We can look to them with a knowing that it can be our place of healing, victory and abundant life. I am going to let God transform my thinking to let me know that I can seek and find joy during my days dwelling in the valley.
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