Valleys…they are inevitable.
Jesus once said “In this world you will have trouble.”
I meet so many people that are walking through a dark period in their life. And often, words of hope or encouragement fall on the dry lands of disappointment and even the parched ground of despair. It does not matter how many people have been there before you…it does not matter how many giants have been slain…when its you in the valley…you have to work, struggle, fight, and bleed…as though it’s the first time this sort of thing has ever occurred.
I drive across the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge every morning on my way into Baton Rouge. It crosses 18 miles of wetlands, a mixture of swamp, lakes, and waterways. Every morning the scene changes a little depending on how high the sun has risen, if there is fog, clouds, rain, or a crystal clear day. Each sight is an unbelievable way to start the day.
Recently, on a particularly spectacular morning, as I looked out over the lake…a golden glow over the hundreds of trees growing right up out of the waters… those waters a mirror reflecting the sun… absolutely no movement…awesome. I began to think about how those trees have withstood powerful winds and the beatings of much rain…still stand…relentless in living…roots driving deep in defiance…we “shall not be moved”. I thought of brave people that I know that are just like those trees. Life has presented them with incredible storms…plenty of reasons to quit…but they are still standing
And then my eyes ran over the many coves and inlets that invite you in…the tributaries that disappear into the darkness of thousands of hovering trees. Though they have been explored many times…should I get in a boat myself and glide back into those areas I would discover many awesome wonders that had just been waiting for me to experience for myself. And some people…people of courage have climbed into a boat that leads them head on into life…they have traveled the deep dark waters…and discovered life in a way that only a true participant can.
The things is this…it does not matter if you are traveling a road that others have already traveled…it only matters how you travel it…how you experience and work with its pain…the things you discover…for yourself… in the dark hidden places.
Life is not about the escape of pain…its about carrying the load that has been handed to you…the very best that you can…its not about if or when or how many times you fall…its about taking the next step…choosing to continue your very own exploration into… for what is to you…the unknown.
The Beatles sang… “There is nothing you can sing that can’t be sung…there is nothing you can do that can’t be done”. And several thousand years before them a king named Solomon penned these words… “There is nothing new under the sun”. Life is not about “new”. There is only one Mt Everest…it is not new…but it is waiting to be truly known, for the first time, by the next brave climber. Life is about the negotiating of the oldest of time weathered trails…waiting to be discovered for the first time by the next brave person…the one who will risk everything to truly live.
So you have taken some chances…with love that didn’t work out…with business that failed…with a dream that has yet to be realized…You are to be commended for getting in the boat…for refusing to just settle for surface experiences. Your bruises…your brokenness…your bleeding…a testament to living…to reaching…to having the courage to dream…to live with passion…refusing to settle for a surface only experience
Right after Jesus said ‘you will have trouble” he said this "But take heart I have overcome the world”. He has overcome the way the world judges a life…even the way we evaluate ourselves…he has visited all the darkest places…loneliness, rejection, being misunderstood…and survived…he knows the value of your efforts…he understands the sense of loss and hopelessness that sometimes comes…He said He wants to give you life and not just life but” life abundantly” but to experience this abundance is to get in the boat...take a trip into the areas of life that demand courage...risk.
Get back in the boat…negotiate the turns…experience life for all that it is…pain, joy, sorrow, peace, trouble, hope, discovery, loss, mountains, valleys…and…“though I walk through the valley of death…I will fear no evil…for He is with me”. Valleys are inevitable…courage is not…your boat is waiting...
1 comment:
i clicked over to your blogspace from a facebook link this morning.
this particular blog entry reminded me to not wallow or be distracted by the inconveniences of the moment, but to let difficulty strengthen and hone my person, my spirit.
i've spent many years thinking i was traveling MY OWN road only to find that everything is common to mankind. in this knowledge, i've embarked on a journey to revisit the wisdom of my father and the generations before me. (i've found that personal responsibility may be an easier pill to swallow at 18 rather than at 44.)
the frustration i felt this morning and on most other days, as of late, is unwound in the knowledge of the ideas you have expressed. as a matter of fact, i wouldn't be surprised if you are a fan of c.s.lewis' non-fiction books.
that being said and as cliche as this may sound, i needed that!
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