The Valleys are His

I learned something from my four year old this week... kind of like to share it with you.

For one reason or another this week our family has had plenty of time in our car driving through what is called the Ozark Mountains. Now if you have never seen these particular mountains you should because they truly are amazing. Not because they are tall and snow covered like the Swiss Alps and not because they are great to ski like the Rockies but because during each of the four seasons you see God's creative covering of them. You can drive through the season of fall and see trees of every variety of color, but then the winter with ice and snow creating a vision of the resting of nature. So no matter when you see them there is beauty to be seen. It is Spring now and flowers are popping up and trees are blooming with life and we are simply taking in the Creators handy work.

Now often we see this and think wow these mountains are nice, tall, and colorful but don't take time to think on the valleys in between. From personal experience I have never driven to Colorado and said these mountains are ok but the valleys here are spectacular. And so I began to think even the valleys are created by God are they not? And isn't there beauty and life and creative design in them? And not to over spiritualize anything it came to me what about the mountains and valleys of this journey called life... We catch our breath and praise God for the mountains and try to avoid at all cost the valleys, but don't they have value and something worth praise?

Many of you know or maybe don't I am in a valley right now. Since the passing of Gavin I can still see hints of the creative nature of God but am still not able to fully breath it in like the fresh air at the top of a mountain. But I am reminded of what David sang about in Psalm 23, "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me." I never knew the shadow of death would be my sons and not mine, it is never suppose to be this way... but that is my burden to bear and not your so I won't digress. But nonetheless this valley is here and I trust in the words of a great king He is with me. And sometimes He is with me through my daughter Lyndlee and together they taught me these two things.

1. We were driving through the mountains and valleys as mentioned before, Janna in the back seat with Lyndlee because still sometimes she does not want to sit alone. Janna was crying a little and Lyndlee asked what was wrong. Janna said, "I miss Gavin." Then Lyndlee promptly replied, "sometimes I cry and miss him too and that is ok." And you know what I felt in that moment , what I felt in this valley...it is ok. It is ok to be sad about the loss of our son or brother and God is with us saying this is ok.... I AM HERE. But this Thought leads me to another thought, is he really here? And lesson number two answers that.

2. Again we were driving through the beauty of the Ozarks and Lyndlee began to sing one of Gavin's favorite songs, Our God is so Big. Now usually this song comes and goes without a hitch but today it became like a broken record but only on one phrase. Janna and I kept trying to help her through it but without a doubt she kept repeating the same phrase which is, "the valleys are His." Over and over again this was being sung until it hit me... HE IS HERE, because the valleys are His too.

I did not choose to be here, and I pray that no one will ever have to experience this themselves... But I know just as the seasons will come and mountains will always lead to valleys this too will happen to others across the world. And when it does or if some other valley that is promised comes your way know this... God is there too because even the valleys the ones that are like the shadow of death are HIS.

Brennan