When I was 14-years-old, on a summer missions trip, my teammates and I used to sing:
Thank You for the valley I walked through today.
The darker the valley, the more I learned to pray...
As a good-intentioned but usually-confused teenager, I needed that lesson –
that God would bring me through the turbulence of the adolescent life,
and would use every experience to help me grow.
Thank You for every hill I climbed...
I haven’t sung that song for years, perhaps decades.
But lately I’ve been singing it again.
For every time the sun didn’t shine...
The last few weeks, I’ve walked a deep valley,
climbed a steep hill,
and have seen more clouds than sunshine.
So in the darkest moments, it helped to sing:
Thank You for every lonely night,
I prayed til I knew everything was all right...
As a good-intentioned but often-tired adult,
I need this reminder –
that God is still bringing me through life’s challenges,
and He’s still using them to help me grow.
Today, I’m nearing the edge of the valley,
there’s a bit more sun in my sky....
and I can see I’ve grown a little deeper,
a little more courageous,
a little better at trusting.
So I say "Yes, Lord..."
Thank You for the valley I walked through today.
