During the Valley and the Storm

We are in the depths of summer. It is very dry. If we didn’t water the plants and lawn, they’d be brown and dry. It’s interesting that in the early morning, if I walk on the lawn or among the plants in the yard, there is moisture. Where does it come from? The dew falls during the night, after the sun has set.

We lead groups of a thirteen-week GriefShare twice a year. Two different seasons, we work with those who’ve lost a loved one in death. Those who attend are in a valley and in the night.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
⁶As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools (Psalm 84:5-6)

The grieving ones are in a valley kind of like the one mentioned in the above verse. Baka is mentioned only once in the Bible and it means “weeping.” Those who come to the group are sad and mourning the loss of a loved one.

Why do my husband and I facilitate these groups? Because we have a heart for grievers. We know what it’s like to experience the loss of a loved one. When we were in the middle of a great loss, we found the same kind of comfort and community ourselves. Fortunately, you don’t have to attend a group to find comfort. You can go directly to God for that.

Do we need comfort when we are lighthearted and all is well? No. Comfort–one of God’s greatest gifts–comes during the depths of sorrow and loss. I think it’s interesting that the plants are watered in the deep darkness of the night, not the bright, sunny daytime.

The inescapable nature of life is that it comes with storms. They can’t be avoided, no matter how carefully we plan, prepare and set up protective walls. Sometimes they arrive quietly, like a light, summer shower, causing us only to pause and reassess. Other times they arrive in a rage, a merciless cyclone of destruction, requiring complete restructuring.~Janice Mayo Mathers, Board Chair, Stonecroft Ministries and author of Stonecroft Bible Study, Every Season – Embracing Your Forever Purpose

You might be in a storm right now and the depths of night where it’s endlessly dark and seems daylight will never come. And that is when our God–the Blessed Comforter is closest. In the night. In the valley. In the storm.