Surviving the Valleys

Have you ever wished that there were no valleys in your life and your marriage? Maybe you have prayed for that. I have. I don’t like the valleys and often they scare me. There is a fear of the unknown as we enter them. Then we don’t understand what is happening, how long it will last or what the end result will be.

If I could have a valley-free life, I would sign up today. I would even give up the highs to get a level playing field in my life. No highs but also no lows. That’s my thinking and in my humanness is makes perfect sense. But as a child of God, it makes no sense at all because of one thing. It’s in the valleys of my life that I have met Jesus face to face. It’s in those times when I don’t understand that I realize He does. He knows how long the valley will last and what the end result will be. It is in the valleys of my life that real change takes place.

The same has been true for Nancy and I in our marriage. We both have gone through dark seasons of depression. We experienced days when we could barely function, but you know what God did during those times? He drew us both closer to each other and to Him. Our marriage is better and more connected today because of those valleys. Do I like valleys? No. Has God brought good out of them? Absolutely. Do I want another valley? No! BUT I know Who I will meet there if it happens and I have learned to trust Him in the valleys just like I do all the other days of my life. I promise you this. If you are in a valley now or if you walk into one in the future, look for Jesus. He is there with you!