Valleys

"The Lord loves us too well to let us miss the best. He has to weaken our strength in the way, to bring us into the Valley of Weeping, to empty, humble and prove us, that we too may know that our strength, every bit of it, is in Him alone, and learn as Hudson Taylor did to leave ourselves entirely in His hands". The Growth of a Soul.

There is such a dichotomy when I think about how hard it is to be in "The Valley" and where that takes me and being out of it. Though being in the middle of trials is so hard and we are pressed on every side, it is the best place we can be. I hate that I often am wanting to be finished and be to higher ground, but as soon as I am to higher ground I lose sight of the fact that in the low lands is where I am most changed and grown.

I am starting to really relish the times when all I can do is look upward, knowing this is the best place for me to be. I am finally starting to realize, after all these years, that this is where God does His best work in my life. I can look to no other but Him and there is no better place to look.

It then becomes disheartening to reach a higher plane knowing that in more cases than not I will start to enjoy the view and forget Who provides the view. It could have been just hours ago that I was so low and went to the Throne begging to be raised up, and now I am rejoicing in the burden being lifted, yet forgetting who was the One who lifted it. So irritating!

It is so sweet to know that my Savior knows I am but dust, feeble and frail, yet still He patiently molds and shapes us into His image that we would be more useful to Him.