There's many things that God did in my trip to Yosemite that speak clearly to many things He's been teaching me as of late. I am going to touch on them at different times; therefore, this is part one.
The voice of God speaks in so many ways...as I write I am sitting up in the mountains back home in COlistening to a stream crash down over rocks and flow. The voice of God telling me to quiet down and prepare my heart...there is much to process and pray about, which will come soon.
Yet the past couple of days I can't get out what my best friend Elise was telling me while we were up at Yosemite this weekend...
She and I along with John and Kyle went to Yosemite Friday and did a hike. I learned many things from it, but I wish to focus on this right now. Our hike was beautiful and brutal at the same time. Going into the day, I was exhausted in many different ways. The hike we ended up doing was a ~2700 ft elevation gain in 3.5 miles. I was not prepared for this in any way...physically, mentally, and emotionally. We started out looking for the trail for a while and then when we found it, began to trek up it. Switchback after switchback came and we continued to climb. The heat of the day came and it scorched us every time we were in the sun, and seemed to rub in my face that I was utterly weak. Elise and I were content to stop halfway where we had lunch, but John wanted to go to the top so we all ventured up with him. Many times I was hating myself for not saying no. We got to the top after a long while and took in the views of the valley below and the mountains parallel with our eyes. And then it was time to head back down. Pretty much all of my strength and willpower was used to get to the top. I was drained, and the prospect of heading down was daunting, especially with my knees that can't take a whole lot anymore. Through the strength of God and the encouragement of those around me, I was able to make it down without hurting myself. We walked along the valley floor looking up at what we accomplished. In hindsight, I am able to appreciate it much more than I did that day, thanks be to God. He revealed and did so much in that time...
Later on that night I was talking with Elise about what we learned that day. God poured forth wisdom through her as I saw a truth for the first time. She spoke of principles and metaphors we have heard before, but saw it in a new light.
In our realization that our spiritual lives are a constant of climbing and descending, trekking and resting, she spoke of how when we are on mountaintops, the sights are beautiful and we are on a high. We are able to see things from the perspective of God and attempt to drink in His splendor. But if we are to stay on the mountaintop for long, we will surely die from the elements. Our bodies are not able to withstand such things; we can only do so temporarily. God allows us to trek up to these mountains for what He can show us and do in those times, but we so often neglect the valley. We so often think that when we are in the valley, we are not where we are supposed be, or that we should be on the mountaintop, at least higher. But without the valley, we never understand or comprehend what the heights truly are. A mountaintop would be nothing without the valley below. There is purpose in both. As she and I walked back to the car and talked, we looked up at the summit we reached, realizing how high we had truly gone. Without the valley, we never would've been able to comprehend it as such.
The valley shows us both what we have done and where we have been, along with what we are to prepare for and where we are to go. God is with us to the heights of heights and the depths of seas and in the flatness of the valleys. We can't always climb and we can't always descend, and we can't stay on the mountaintop forever. Yet we can always walk through the valley knowing full well our God is with us...and that the valley is crucial to us. It is through those times we are able to be restored and refreshed and prepare for what is to come next. We can find God just as near to us in the valleys as on the mountaintops, even though the perspective is different. We can't neglect the importance of the valley...
In a lot of different ways I am in a valley of sorts. I'm looking around and all that I've been climbing and descending, able to comprehend and see where it is I've been. I've been climbing and descending for a while, and my body and soul needs its rest...to find rest in God alone, for He is my strength and refuge. Walking in the valley for this time will draw me ever nearer to Him...and I'm not going to neglect the importance of this valley in this time.
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