The Valley of the Shadow...

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The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and staff, they comfort me...
Psalm 23:1-4

I have spent some time in the valley of the shadow of death. The darkness has overshadowed my life several times. It has surrounded me, brushed past me, and momentarily blocked the light. I have walked in that valley with those I love. And I now walk there each day, with those I barely know as they face the same dark shadow. It is interesting that God has called me to such a ministry...to such a purpose. For, I am ill-equipped for such a thing. I have friends who stood with me in the valley who are much better at walking alongside a broken-hearted soul than I could ever be. (Really, this walk is the very definition of His strength being made perfect through my weakness.) And, on top of that, I really am not a fan of grieving (who is?)...I'm far from a melancholy spirit. One of the greatest compliments I ever received was from a lovely woman named Ruth, who always referred to me as "the girl who laughs". Although I have cried many tears while walking in the valley of the shadow of death, the tears do not define me. The tears were just for sowing. Rather, it is the "songs of joy" we reap from the tears that we've sown, which so much better define the person God has created me to be. The Girl Who Laughs.

The truth is, there is comfort...even in the valley of the shadow of death. We fear no evil...Because Jesus is there. He is our caregiver, our perfect shepherd. He will quiet us, even amidst the noise. He will lead us beside still waters, even as the stormy seas of grief rage on. He will restore our souls, even as we see only the brokenness of our pain. His rod and His staff they comfort us. We are never closer to Him (on this Earth) than when we walk in that dark valley. He meets us there.

If you are not sure of this Jesus who meets you there, in the valley of the shadow of death, please allow me to introduce you:

...for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you; God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being... ~ Acts 17:23-28a

If you are surrounded by darkness, groping around unsure, lost in pain, sorrow, sickness, fear...just lost...Reach out to the God who waits for you with open arms. Reach out to the One who longs to hold you, to lead you out of the darkness, away from the storm...to the still waters, where He will gently restore your weary soul. Just reach for Him...

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. ~ Psalm 23:6

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Please pray and tell every prayer warrior you know to pray for Jennifer.
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