Hills and Valleys

"In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?" - Psalm 11:1


   Everyone goes through times of difficulty whether it be emotional, physical, mental or all of the above. It's not easy. It's not fun and we struggle. We struggle mostly with the unknown, the uncontrollable. And yet, there are times of extreme happiness. Everything is awesome. Our plans are being followed to a T. It seems as if nothing can get in our way and we feel invincible. We are on top of the world. For sake of this blog, let's call that our hilltop. Most of us have climbed up to the top of something at some point whether it be a mountain or not. It could just be the top of the tallest playground equipment. But we have all enjoyed that feeling of looking around being taller and higher than everything else. Inevitably though, someone wants to come to our vantage point to see what we are seeing and we get shoved out of the way. It was a surprise. We weren't ready for this! We are utterly shocked. Sometimes it's a hard, very hard fall. After our fall and initial pain of having something torn away from us, we look up. Are we where we were before? Obviously not. Are we completely satisfied? Well, no....but wait. We notice something. No we are not where we want to be or think we should be, or have what we think should be ours, but someone else is there enjoying the view that we had just been admiring and we accept and can be happy for them in their moment of "I'm king of the world".
   Life is full of hills and valleys. God designed it that way for one main purpose: we need Him. Many times, we struggle on the mountain tops. It becomes all about me. That's when God comes in and says, "It's all about you again." And He allows a fall down your mountain. It is His way of bringing us back to reality, bringing us back to Himself. Sometimes He has to do that by taking away all of our earthly comforts and sending us to "your mountain" as the Psalmist said. Just like how God took Elijah after his amazing Mount Carmel victory into the wilderness to a mountaintop, He always takes us away to a very specific place of solitude to teach us and guide us. Many times in our moments of solitude we don't see how God could be working. We feel as if everything is beating against us. We feel such despair upon our already burdened and sorrowful heart. In those moments, where do most of us go to? A relative? A best friend? A trusted counselor? Perhaps and that is not a wrong response. God gave them to us for that purpose. But do you sometimes walk away feeling, "But I'm still struggling. This was supposed to help and it didn't." It's God's way of showing us our need for Him. In those quiet moments when loneliness and sadness is all that you see, God comes and, in the only way He can, softly says, "Just calm down. It's ok to feel this way. This is my way of showing you Who I am. Who I should be to you. You'll make it through. I've got it planned. This is how you will grow into the person I intended and need you to be. Don't faint. Don't falter. We will get through this. I'll never forsake you."
   Nothing can be fixed overnight. But once we realize the amazing sovereignty of God there comes a peace over our soul and we can see the beauty in the pain. He chooses the solitary mountain for us to see Him as He should be in our lives: the First, the Ruler, the Leader, the Father, the Friend, the Guide, the Provider, the Sustainer. God makes all things for His good. Even our mistakes, and our attitudes. Hills and valleys are just a part of life. It definitely doesn't make it easier by any means, but knowing that God is always there through our hills and valleys makes everything worthwhile in the end.