In the Valley

This whole adoption experience has been a very rich time for us. It's as though God has taken us from the hilltops, where life was comfortable and we could see everything that lay before us, and placed us in the valley, where were have become uncomfortable and unsure of what lies in the darkness.

It's as though our plans for adoption, which we carefully thought out and drew up, were turned upside down and God said "huh uh, you are going to do this according to My plan. All I ask is that you trust Me."

Can we argue with that? Do we even have a say in the matter?

And so our trip began. In faith, we packed our bags full of things we thought we would need for our journey and began our descent into the valley. There are times that worry, fear and lack of trust have become the rocks that we stumble on. There are times when we come upon a fork in the road and we find ourselves asking, "which path do we take, and what if we choose the wrong one?" There are times that the valley seems too long and too dark that we become fearful of the unknown, unable to take another step.

And just when the darkness seems too much to bear, God says, "don't look forward for the path is too dark; don't look to the side for the walls are too steep; don't look behind you for you have come too far to go back. Look up and let My light guide you. All I ask is that you trust Me."



The Valley of Vision

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.

The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, edited by Arthur Bennett



It is so easy to put God in the backseat when we live on the hilltops. Life is too good, too easy, too pleasurable to want to be accountable to Him. And yet, I have found that walking in the valley, being in relationship with God and experiencing His peace, is much more fulfilling than any worldly treasures could bring.

May His peace abound in you,
Anna