The Valley, the Race, and the End Of It All

So, you find yourself in the valley….again. A place of emptiness where your strength is not needed; your talents are not used; your gifts are at a stand still. You wonder and wait-How long this time Lord? Will I never be used again? Please Lord, put me back in the race. If that describes you then let’s comfort one another in this “valley” where we are together at the moment; and remember a few things about the “valley.” The valley is a place of rest and replenishing. A place of strengthening and training. Here we find beauty; water, flowers, green pasture and nourishment. Here in the valley, where we are so low we can only look up…we can only do what Colossians 3 says, “set your mind on the things above, and not on the things that are on earth..” In the valley we are in training, regaining strength, and discovering new strengths for the climb (battle) to come. Ultimately, we are learning invaluable lessons that can only be learned in the quietness of the valley. (Be still and know that HE is God) Receive its resources, its teaching, its preparation for bigger and better assignments and missions in the Kingdom of God. Don’t fight the “valley” (I hesitate to say) embrace it. Don’t feel discouraged; you are still needed, still valuable. Consider at least one way we can be used in the valley… Think about those who are not in the valley right now, but in the battle, they are climbing up the mountain and it’s hard. God is calling us to pray for them. To provide prayer cover, spiritual reinforcements if you will. We are still in the RACE! We are still viable tools for the Kingdom! We can still make a difference by being a support in prayer for those engaged in the battle! Let’s not waste this opportunity wallowing in self pity (I speak for myself hereJ) Let’s help our fellow soldiers to be victorious in their calling, in their climb up the mountain. After all, we’re all in this together! And someday we’ll be out of this valley, climbing up the mountain ourselves, needing those in the valley to support us. And when we get to the mountaintop where there’s nothing but clear vision, we’ll surely realize that even while we were in the valley, we were in the race. It was just a slower pace. As I live, I see how the race works. It’s simply a pattern of valley, climb (battle), mountaintop; valley, climb, mountaintop…and it goes on until our physical body is dead. The race will span our entire lifetime. At the end of it, all we will see is Jesus face to face…(selah, take a moment to imagine this); and we will know the prize, as the prize knows us; we will meet face to face this JOY that was set before us throughout this race of a lifetime. Every valley, every battle, every mountaintop has brought you to this moment, this ultimate, eternal reward who is Jesus. So, run the race with endurance; however fast, however slow, run the race…run to win! Run and do not grow weary; your reward waits for you at the end of it all. In Christ & For His Kingdom, Denise aka Big D:)

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