Passing Through

 

Once in a great while, when we were still kids, my parents treated us to a trip to New York City. It was one of my favorite places to visit as a child. However, there was one minor thing I really dreaded about the journey: the New York City tunnels. Some of the underwater tunnels stretched for several miles, and the thought of driving through deep water was unsettling to my young mind. My biggest fear was getting stuck in a traffic jam while in the tunnel and having to stay longer than necessary. I remember that every time we passed through, I would shut my eyes and focus on the incredible sights we would see once we arrived in the big N-Y-C. This helped me think less about how uncomfortable I felt being down under.

Our trips to NYC were very similar to what I later experienced on my journey through life as I grew older. I found that this journey often takes us through seasons of deep valleys where we encounter hardships and sorrow. However, these landmarks are not our final destinations; we are simply passing through as we make our way to where God is leading us and who he is molding us to become. 

Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger…(Ps. 23:4)

Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs;...(Ps. 84:6)

The valleys are places where we learn important lessons, designed to help us grow and make spiritual progress. However, sometimes in life, we get stuck in the valley and forget that God never meant for us to stay there. We may feel trapped and linger longer than necessary because we struggle to let go of the hardships we faced. Sometimes, it's struggling to let go of the loss of someone close to us or struggling to cope with the traumas we've experienced. We find ourselves parked in self-pity within the valley, forgetting about the beautiful destination that God is guiding us toward. The only way out of the valley is to remember that we are merely passing through and to keep our eyes fixed on where God is taking us, a smooth place, with no valleys.   

Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;  (Luke 3:5)