Peaks and valleys
"It seemed to her at that moment that all the pain and postponement, all the sorrows and trials of the long journey she had made, were as nothing compared to the glory which shone before her"
"Much-Afraid stood still and stared. The more she looked, the more stunned she felt. Then she began to tremble and shake all over, for the whole mountain range before, as far as she could see to left and right, rose up in unbroken walls of rock so high that it made her giddy when she put her head back and tried to look up to the top"
- from "Hinds Feet on High Places" by Hannah Hurnard
Peaks and valleys. The emotional and spiritual roller coaster of a trial. At times, the challenge seems conquerable, buffered by peace and quiet joy, and reminders of His faithfulness. Then the sudden drop. A frantic scrambling to grasp that which one knows to be true, fingers slipping on the slime of fear and doubt. The war rages. Whispers of hopelessness, lack of strength, and weakness weave their way through the mind, each whisper thread is challenged by Truth, speared intentionally and sometimes unintentionally from the foundation on which the heart rests. He is my hope. He is my strength. When I am weak, then I am strong. The battle continues, a finger slips. A cry for mercy. And the Word provides:
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" - Psalm 56:3-4
The whispers splinter, shattered by the light, a toe-hold is caught, the fingers renew their grip, the tired arms relieved, uncaring for how long, for the rest is welcomed without restraint. The spirit refreshed, still tired, still old, but now set with renewed determination, a jaw stubbornly jutting out, strengthened by a Power outside itself, by Him.
"When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you" - Isaiah 43:2.
2 comments:
I wish I could endure the pain for you, even if for a day. Then I think, "Would that be like going on a vacation to escape a grueling trial just to come back to it? Would it be even harder to bear?" Ah, but that is foolish thinking. I continue to pray, asking God for relief and mercy; asking Him to give you an abundance of grace to walk each moment; with Him; and thanking Him for each insight He gives you along the way.
I wish I could endure the pain for you, even if for a day. Then I think, "Would that be like going on a vacation to escape a grueling trial just to come back to it? Would it be even harder to bear?" Ah, but that is foolish thinking. I continue to pray, asking God for relief and mercy; asking Him to give you an abundance of grace to walk each moment; with Him; and thanking Him for each insight He gives you along the way.
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