Peaks and Valleys
A few years ago, Dennis and I were able to take a trip to Colorado, where we rode the Durango train into Silverton. The fall scenery was stunning…bright yellow aspen leaves whispering as the winds blew them…the beautiful Animas River that flowed parallel to the train most of our trip. It truly is God’s country.
As we got closer to Silverton, I had to take it all in, what I was seeing. The tiny town of Silverton, CO is nestled in a valley and from higher up, as we were, it almost appeared as a diorama created for a movie set. Growing up in the south, the only mountains I’ve ever seen were the big hills in the Texas Hill Country, so I’d never thought of a town being built in the valley of a mountain range. When we pulled into Silverton, we had a long lay over to get lunch and shop. As we walked around, I was amazed how “normal” it all looked…not like the tiny movie set diorama I’d seen minutes before.
When I was making a card for Dennis for Valentine’s Day, I talked about marriage having its peaks and valleys, and it made me think of Silverton. And just like He often does, God nudged me…letting me know there was a message to be shared. Pastor has preached on hills and valleys, how life takes us high and drops us low…it’s our job to not boast when we’re at the top and not tarry too long when we’re at the bottom, recognizing that the constant circular motion of life will eventually land us on top again.
The vision that I got was Silverton nestled in that valley. Nestled simply means “to settle or rest snugly, comfortably, and often protectively in a sheltered spot.” If we can adjust our perspective, we might see that when we’re in the low places in our lives, we’re just safely nestled deep in the sheltering palm of God’s protective hand while He works out the details of our struggles. Just like Silverton seemed large while I was down in it, our troubles may seem huge when we’re in the thick of it, but from a distance, much higher up, they don’t appear that big. God sees us and He knows our pain, but He can also see the entire valley and the mountains that surround it. He can see the next step, and if we’re able to wait and trust Him to show it to us, He will when He sees that we’re ready.