I remember hearing a sermon from Mark Hoover, Head Pastor of New Spring Church in Wichita, KS that greatly impacted the way I view challenging times in life and led me into great reflection about my purpose in life. He named the sermon "Valley of Tears" and it was in the "Valleys" series. Here, the term "valley" was in reference to low points along the journey of life.
I went back to the archives to recall the main messages of his sermon.
It was life changing.
Here's the main verse:
"What joy for those who's strength comes from the Lord, who have set their mind on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the valley of weeping, it will become, a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem."
-- Psalm 84:5-7
Mark encourages us as to develop the following attitude, "If I go through this valley, I refuse to let it be meaningless."
The people in which the verse is referring to were on their way to Jerusalem through a desert. They had a destination to reach, and although they went through this valley of weeping, they realized that they HAD to go through if they were to reach Jerusalem. They were going to be thirsty, and it wasn't going to be fun. It was called the "valley of WEEPING" for crying out loud!
Amidst all of this weeping, they get a shovel out and they start digging (some translations say "It will become a well", this one says "it will become a place of refreshing springs"). As Pastor Mark points out, they would have prevented themselves being in the valley if they could have avoided it. They HAD to go through the valley to get to Jerusalem, but in digging a well, they were trusting God to give it meaning. They knew other travelers were going to come to that valley on their journeys, and they wanted other people to have a better experience than they. When the water poured down from the heavens ("autumn rains"), God filled the trench they had dug with water. The following travelers would have fresh water to refill their canteens, to wash the caked dirt from their heels, to soothe the crying, hot children.
There is beauty in your struggle. You can either tell everyone "I went through this valley, poor me.. pity me..." and allow your struggle to be meaningless OR..
You too, can dig a well.
It can be filled with water.
You can help others with your struggle.
I thank God that He is the healer of all and can make something as complex as a human being out of something as boring as dust. He sometimes uses us to heal each other and I would encourage you that when you are in your valley of tears, to turn to God and ask Him to use it to help other people. I believe that this is the task we chase at our core: we live to make a difference. Most of us don't care to simply float through life wavering back and forth from one pleasure to the next. We seek purpose, and you have great purpose in passing down the wisdom you currently have.
What is the good in lording your experience over other people? Yes, this might add do your bank of accolades, but it doesn't leave a legacy of wisdom and purpose. Purpose is leaving a legacy that Honors God and screams of His faithfulness.
Like Pastor Mark says,
Don't let your struggle be meaningless.
On the journey together,
Emmy.
** contents of this post are recalled from Pastor Mark Hoover's sermon, "Valley of Tears", if you would like to hear the sermon, follow this link:
http://www.newspring.org/media/#series-sort_valleys
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