Valleys

VALLEYS

What comes to your mind when I say “valley”? It’s always amazing to me how a word can have so many different meanings depending on the context in which it’s used. A word like “really” can mean so many different things when spoken with different intonations. For instance: “Really?”, “Really!”, or “Reeeaaalllly…..” This word can be asked as a question, uttered as an exclamation of surprise, or elongated skeptically. It all depends on the tone, the facial expressions of the speaker, and the context.

Today, we want to look at three kinds of valleys that we may experience as widows: The Valley of the Shadow of Death, the Valley of Dry Bones, and the Valley of Blessing. While they are all “valleys”, they bring to mind very different scenarios.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4

The first, The Valley of the Shadow of Death, is referenced in Psalm 23. There are several take-aways from this particular verse of Scripture. The first is that valleys are not the same as cul-de-sacs or dead-end streets! They have an entrance and an exit, and we walk THROUGH them! Second, this particular valley only contains the “shadow” of death, not really death itself. There’s great comfort in realizing that we will not be alone in walking through this valley, as Jesus will walk with us. However, there’s even greater comfort in realizing that what we experience is only a shadow of death. The darkness and shadow may surround us through the valley, but it can only threaten. Nothing is able to touch us when we hold His hand. When I walked through this valley of shadow with Dave, I realized more clearly than ever before that death has no real power over the one who walks with the Lord.

Sometimes this shadow lingers for a time after we’ve lost our spouse. This is the part we call grieving, the time it takes for the brain chemistry to realign itself with our new reality. We may struggle through some dark times, but again, it’s helpful to remember that this is only shadow lingering after a death. We were created for eternal life, and God never intended for us to experience death in any form. That’s why it’s so difficult and painful for us to deal with the separation it brings.

The second kind of valley we find is the Valley of Dry Bones described so vividly in the vision of Ezekiel chapter 37:1-14. Because this is such a long passage, I’ll let you go there to read it for yourself. However, in summary, God took Ezekiel to a valley where he saw thousands of dry bones covering the valley floor. The bones were saying “We have no hope of ever living again!” (Well, that’s my version!) God asks Ezekiel if these bones can live, and the bottom line is that when God spoke, they began to come together into skeletons, then sinews, then flesh, and finally breath.

The moral of the story, so to speak, is this: we can look all around us and see nothing but dry bones. Some days we feel that everything in our life died when our husband died. All the dreams and plans left with him. All the things we were going to do together are no longer going to happen. The things we were going to build won’t get built. The trips we were going to take…well, I won’t be going by myself. Everything around me, including my dreams and joy, is asking, “Can I ever live again?” The answer is a resounding “Yes!” As Ezekiel watches, God speaks to the bones and tells him to prophesy breath into them…and they come to life. God promises to do the same for us, as we look to him in the midst of this Valley of Dry Bones in our lives.

The third valley is the Valley of Blessing that we find in this scripture (and many, many others!):

“The meadows are clothed with flocks And the valleys are covered with grain; They shout for joy, yes, they sing.” – Psalm 65:13

Wow! These are the valleys where we want to live. In my mind I imagine green slopes covered in lush grass and dotted with wildflowers. There are flocks and wild animals – no snakes, only gentle ones like rabbits, of course! In the bottom of the valley a quiet stream meanders its way down the mountain, providing fresh, clean water, and a bubbling song of joy for anyone who’s listening. This verse speaks of clothing, provision, joy, and singing! Will I ever sing again? Many widows wonder this, so if you do, you are not alone.

This is the Valley of Blessing. Valleys are low places between the heights, not necessarily bad! They often provide a sheltered area where things are protected and can grow and flourish. Such is often true for us when we’re walking through the Valley of Grief. It can feel like a dangerously low spot, but just changing our perspective can turn this valley into a gift and blessing. It becomes a place of protection, a place where we can regroup our lives, our minds and hearts can heal, and all of our needs are met. And, yes, it can become a place where we once again find joy and begin to sing a new song.

So, as you consider these valleys, let’s do a little recap. The Valley of the Shadow of Death is temporary, and you never walk it alone. The Valley of Dry Bones is a place where life will return and begin to come together again. The Valley of Blessing is a place where God desires to meet all of our needs and return to us our joy and our song.

Como siempre, sus pensamientos y comentarios son bienvenidos aquí o puede enviarme un correo electrónico a sheryl@freshhope.us. Si está buscando un nuevo propósito y un camino para seguir adelante, considere unirse a uno de nuestros grupos de Refocusing Widows, ya sea en persona o en línea. Puede registrarse en www.refocusingwidows.org/Groups. ¡Esperamos conocerle!