The View From The Valley. By: C.C.

“One sees great things from the valley, only small things from the peak.” (G.K. Chesterton)

      Love the Lord with all of your heart, serve Him by serving one another, and strive to attain purity of heart so that you may one day be in full union with Him sharing Eternal life. This should be the goal of our lives. 

   The idea that this should occur without moments of desolation is dangerous. It is to be immersed into a false sense of reality that avoids the very concept of what the spiritual life and what following Christ is truly about. There is no promise from our Lord declaring that our journey here will be filled with roses and euphoric moments. We are blessed at times to receive loving and divine consolation, but it is wrong to assume and expect Eternal glory to be with us just because we lead lives of faith.

  In looking at the lives of our Biblical ancestors and our Beloved Saints we begin to understand that those who were truly holy were also those most constantly afflicted. Through their witness we come to understand that it is important to praise God from the peak of our mountains in life, and to also praise Him from the valley. It can be argued that in the valley is where we should praise Him even more. These "low" moments of desolation and affliction allow us to humble ourselves before God and affirm for us that we are not in control. We are all at the mercy of our Lord. When we recognize that we are not at the mercy of a condemning Father, but an all loving and faithful God these moments and their purpose in our lives can become more clear to us.

   "One sees great things from the valley"..these moments provide us with the clarity to see where our hearts are in need of the most purification. We are called to constantly humble ourselves and reignite our desire to follow in the footsteps of the faithful. We are called by love to grow in love and a deeper union with Christ. This does not come without great faith, humility, service, and sacrifice.

   May we continue to grow in trust each day, understanding that our Lord will lead us into the valley so that we may be taken to a peak far beyond our own understanding and expectation. Let us strive to praise Him in all things, in all ways, and in every circumstance. "Jesus I trust in You." (C.C.)