Valleys and Shadows — grateful, yet grieving
Last month my two adult children and I visited Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. We hiked in temperatures of 20 degrees always looking to stay in the direct sun. One particular trail was in and out of the sun leading us to an area that was completely without sun. It revealed a dark cave like space. (see picture above)
Its beauty was stark and unnoticeable at first sight. What I recognized was how I had to look more intently at the rock formations that were shaded. Being in that cold, dark space, I reflected on my grief journey. Some things are only seen in the shadows. There are some treasures we won’t experience unless we are in the valleys.
Our grief journey allows us to discover peace that we would have never experienced in any other way. The darkness of my grief was where I found the comfort of God to be more real than any other time in my life. When I read Psalm 46, I could identify with David that, indeed, “God was my refuge and strength.”
These past three years I have seen God’s faithfulness that truly, “reaches to the heavens” and sustains me daily.
Being in the dark leads to a discovery of things we would not notice before our loss. The treasures we find in the valleys and shadows are one of a kind, not found in any other place.
