Notes from the Valley

Healing Day

Alive, the sky
with trails of light,
the air with morning dew,
erasing darkness
of the night
and memories of you.
And with each ray
of morning sun,
my broken heart will mend
until each memory,
each one,
becomes nothing again.
But if the rain
precedes the beams
of light that I await,
its healing drops
will blend with tears
that flow from the floodgates -
until there's nothing
left of pain
that's all that's left of you.
The new day heals,
with sun or rain,
as light reveals His truth.

I am in a valley. I have been in a valley for quite some time. And, to date, it has probably been the most painful time in my life. I'm not complaining, though (at least I'm trying not to). I think I have passed the "woe is me" stage (several times) and graduated to the "Lord, have Your way with me" stage (again, it comes and goes). This is the stage in which I realize that God uses the valleys to meet me, comfort me and talk with me when I'm most able to listen - when I feel alone and without hope, when I am quiet and the noise of my life is so far away that it can't get in the way. During this stage, God shows me - yet again - that He is always there, able to reach me even out in the wilderness. He uses the valleys to make me turn to Him so that He can show me that He is everything I need, that He is my ever-present help.

So, I remain in the valley - for now - while God has His way with me. I remain in the valley and treasure each and every realization He brings me (okay, so it's painful and I may not be as enthusiastic as I should be, but ...), along with each and every little bit He opens my eyes and my heart a little more.

I believe I am in this valley for specific reasons, some of which God has revealed to me. I am working on those things so that I can avoid revisiting this particular valley again in the future. I have a feeling, though, that I still need to do some time in this valley, so I am doing my best to be a faithful, attentive pupil and avoid having to learn these particular lessons again because, while I know there are far worse things in life, this place is not somewhere I want to be again.