In The Valley

My Mom used the term "in the valley" to describe a recent situation she was in. As you know, the valley is the deepest, and sometimes, darkest place between two massive mountains that appear impossible to climb and cross over. Just looking at both obstructions can be physically draining, but they can be climbed. They can be conquered. What matters is what you do when you're at the bottom, in the dark, amongst the wild and the unexpected. It's always wise to be highly prepared because at this point, you are completely uncertain of what waits for you in the dark. You have a general idea of what can go wrong, but not entirely. That's what makes us upset, you know? Not fully knowing. Well, if we knew what was coming, wouldn't be much of a challenge, right? Yes, I agree. A few verses come to mind when I think of this. Two in particular is Proverbs 3:5-6. It reads: Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not upon thy own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all you do and He will direct thy path. "All your heart" means exactly what it says, and for us as humans, it can be quite difficult. Doubts begin to crowd your mind like a swarm of bees from a busted hive. Your body shakes chronically and you can't seem to settle down without feeling your heart through the material of your clothing. It's the typical response to the idea of uncertainty, but your body only reacts to what you put it through. Don't put it through hell if it hasn't gotten to the fire yet. There's a song by J Moss called "Don't Pray and Worry." Such a contradiction. What's the point of bowing your head and praying for God to do what He does best, yet you still question whether or not He'll do it correctly? The idea of assuming God has to do something a particular way for things to work is quite funny because it's not up to our expectations to determine His decision. My mom used this visual that she learned from listening to Tony Evans. She grabbed a piece of paper and drew a large box. Then, she drew another box inside the bigger one. Then she wrote the word "you" in the center (in this case, the "you" was in reference to me). She told me that the box on the outside represented Jesus and the box on the inside represented God. She said before anything gets to me, it has to go through God, and before anything gets to God, it has to go through Jesus, and if you want to add a layer, before it gets to Jesus, it has to get through the people who love you. So basically, it has to go through three stages before it can even touch you. Here's the part that many people don't understand. If whatever setback that has come your way has breached all layers, it’s not because they were too weak, but that you weren’t weak as well. God has already equipped you with the necessary tools to fight this battle, therefore, He knows that not only will you defeat it, but you will come out of it much, much stronger. Do you remember the way you were before you made (what you thought at the time) the biggest mistake you’ve ever made in your life? Do you remember how weak and insufficient you felt? The pain, the worrying, the stress? Now think back to the aftermath-the triumph, the victory. Just because you didn’t get a trophy doesn’t mean you didn’t do well. Always remember that, but that doesn’t mean you should stop striving for your best. Never succumb to mediocrity, especially when you have the potential to do better. Well, not only better, but your very, very best. The second verse that comes to mind and sums this blog up is Psalm 23:4 that reads “Though I walk through valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for though art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Always remember that God is right there, protecting, watching, clearing a way for you to get through (not out) of your situation so that you can come out as the latest version of yourself which is always up to date with better software (I got this idea from Hill Harper’s book Letters to a Young Brother). Think of yourself at the bottom of a hole and God at the top with his hand extended, but not all the way. He says to you that I will pull you out, but you have to be willing to climb. You tell yourself that you can’t, but He assures you that if He KNEW you couldn’t, He would have pulled you out a long time ago. You have to be willing to climb, leap, or sometimes even fly when you don’t have any wings. Remember, absolutely nothing is impossible for God and with Him guiding you, loving you unconditionally, nothing is impossible for you.