Coming Through The Dark Valleys In Life

Yesterday, my wife and I received a year end letter from our daughter in Oklahoma.  It was one that she copied and sent to many of her family and friends.  In the course of the letter she explains all the good things that happened over the time of her stay in Broken Arrow and Tulsa throughout 2010.  She then ended the letter by encouraging all the readers with the statement that “the best is yet to come.”  Following her signature was a P.S. that said “or as my father would say, ‘What are you expecting today!’”

Well, you know what?  As I re –read her letter this morning, I was extremely blessed and highly encouraged by her concluding remarks!  Not only did it send a zing of energy into my day, but it made me proud that my daughter would think it important enough to quote what I have been telling others for the last year!  Ah!  A chip off the old block!

After being led to study along particular vein this morning, I thought it was important to add an addendum to yesterday’s post.  One of the various scriptures that I explored today was the familiar 23^rd Psalm.  In particular verse 4, where it states: “Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, because you are with me, I fear no harm. Your rod and your staff give me courage.”  (God’s Word©)  In the previous installment of this blog, I spoke of not allowing fear to blind you from exploring new avenues in your future.  The flag that popped up within me as I read the above verse, was the fact that fear does attack us at times in our lives.  It is a real adversary that we have to deal with, and today’s point is how we handle it in order to grow.

It is an interesting to me that the 23^rd Psalm is a familiar scripture to many of us because it is regularly read at funerals.  While I can see the application, I firmly believe that this particular verse is better used as an applicable for those of us who are alive and well and facing the everyday issues of life!  You’ll notice it says “even though I walk through the dark valley of death…”  We all enter dark valleys of death (or times of fear) in our journeys through life, but this scripture says that we can go through  them and come out on the other side!  The very next portion of this verse is the key to the successful completion of these times in our lives.  It speaks of the important role that our foundations play in the drama of life.  In speaking of the foundation in which I walk my daily steps, the 23 Psalm continues “…because you are with me, I fear no harm…”  In other words, I do not walk my path alone.  A force greater than myself resides with me, giving me the comfort and courage to move through the storms that arise on the horizons of my life.  So even though the storms may pound down on me, I KNOW  that I can successfully weather them and come out on the other side of the deluge warm and safe.

This is the confidence that a strong foundation can afford one in this life.  You can be assured that troubling times will come upon you, but the right foundation will guarantee the support to keep you steadily progressing along the right path in fulfilling your unique destiny.  Stay tuned, and keep asking yourself, “What am I expecting today?”