A Needed Rest in the Valley...

Out back in the gardens in early February, daffodils were beginning to stretch and emerge from the soil. Little Bear was ready to return to her explorations. Cautious stepping was not easy teaching a five year old after a long season of restlessness inside. A week later, much cold returned, bringing along with it close to four feet of snow. Quite a heavy blanket now covered the many new plants. How would all the new plants survive?

At times, life can feel like four feet of snow covering a loved one or even oneself. Worn out, job loss, marriage problems, the car breaks down, can't pay the bills, the loss of a loved one, someone close hurts you, depression returns, broken trust, you burn out from doing too much....The weight that bears down has no limits. As with the plants, one finds themselves in the valley: helpless, worn out, scared, unable, some asking why...

This past November my wing broke. I found myself worn out, tired, and unable to press on. I could not understand why, I was soaring and living daily with the Lord serving others. Mt11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Several times, on my path, I had passed up a much needed rest stop. For me...the Lord needed to take much away in order to get me to the valley....where all that was left was just Him.

Ps23:2 He makes me lie down v4 through the valley... is where I found my rest stop....but why: In time, the Lord led me to verse 3 with the answer...He restores my soul. Restore: renew, mend, fit, perfect. I now understood. (How) It took the weight of snow in order for the Lord to bring me to the valley, (why) so that He could restore me. The Lord restored the worn, burnt out, and tired with much needed rest...leaving me now refreshed and renewed.

A Restored Spring...After two weeks, the snow finally melted. Returning once again to the gardens...the daffodils were over two inches tall. They grew over an inch under all of that snow! I stood there just amazed. I now understood how: Whisper: You see, the "Sun" still reached them even through four feet of snow...Amazing, these daffodils still continued to grow.

Whisper: Flowers do not grow on the mountain peeks, they grow in the valleys....Ro8:38, I am convinced...v39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, (nor 4 feet of snow) will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.... Your Sister in Christ, Brown Eagle 5/2/10