Embracing the Hard Seasons

Over the past few weeks I’ve been enjoying a book called, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23” by W. Phillip Keller. When you look at the size of this book and glance through it, it seems like a pretty casual and surface level read; I mean, this book has pictures in it. I can’t tell you the last time I read a book with pictures! But this book is a treasure trove of wisdom and intimacy with God. I’ve been reading this book slowly and drinking it in, soaking up the richness of the pages.

This morning I came across a few quotes that I wanted to share. The chapter I’m reading is about walking through the valleys:

Often we pray or sing the hymn requesting God to make us an inspiration to someone else. We want, instinctively, to be a channel of blessing to other lives. The simple fact is that just as water can only flow in a ditch or channel or valley, so in the Christian’s career the life of God can only flow in blessing through the valleys that have been carved and cut into our own lives by excruciating experiences.

The truth is that life can be painful, or disappointing, or confusing - but God is so intimately involved with every step and process to get you closer to Him, farther in your calling, and more deeply rooted in wisdom and maturity. It’s what we choose to do in the valley that makes the difference, not only in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us.

Do you ever get worn down or feel like you’re just too defeated to go to God?

Last week for the first time, illness beyond the standard teething discomfort or cold struck our family. Avery managed to catch Hand, Foot, and Mouth - which if you have never heard of this, it’s a common childhood disease that causes blisters to break out on your hands and feet, as well as in and around your mouth and in the back of your throat. After a long 5 days of managing Avery’s mood, pain, and health, I managed to catch it for myself! (Yes, adults can catch it too - and side note: there’s no medicine or shot or anything that can prevent it or speed along recovery time, you just have to wait it out)

That sucker drained the life out of me! It was misery! I laid in bed for 4 days straight. Once I finally started to feel better, I realized that I had completely overlooked my time with God. It just wasn’t a thought - I was so drained.

Just as physical illness can deplete us of our energy, emotional pain surrounding difficult circumstances can cause us to dry up and withdraw from our life with God. Pain and difficulty, the valleys we walk through in life, can cause us to want to shrink back. We wonder, why God, are you causing this pain?

Consider that the Lord is wanting to partner with you and link arms with you in the valley. He’s leading you to higher ground, and the relationship that comes from it is richer than what you find elsewhere. He isn’t carving pain into your heart and life, he’s creating depth that will cause His life to flow more freely in you and through you to others.

One final quote from my read this morning:

Most of us do not want valleys in our lives. We shrink from them with a sense of fear and foreboding. Yet in spite of our worst misgivings, God can bring great benefit and lasting benediction to others through those valleys. Let us not always try to avoid the dark things, the distressing days. They may well prove to be the way of greatest refreshment to ourselves and those around us.

Be encouraged today; where God has you isn’t a pit.

It’s a valley and it’s a place of purpose. God speaks so clearly in these places - if only we would flip our perspective to be more patient to listen, instead of panicking or wanting to give up. Rely on Him, and trust His voice (the Shepherd’s voice). He is leading you every single step of the way.

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Hope you enjoyed this read today, and if you liked the quotes, I encourage you to get this book:
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23