Valleys

We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle. Spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mount.
My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
October 1 entry

When our son climbed Mt. Elbert in August, he sent a picture of his looking down on the clouds. Coupled with this one from the summit, it almost seemed as if he took an airplane ride rather than a hike.

The quote from Chambers reminds me of this picture. The mountaintop is indeed spectacular, and getting there is quite an accomplishment. But, notice how the top is so barren and desolate. It's almost like being on the moon. It is actually in the valleys where vegetation flourishes.

Valleys may look pretty from afar, but being in them is usually not glamorous. It's where the work of life goes on. And the work of life is often messy and tiring. We make mistakes in the valleys. We don't see God's big picture. We look wistfully at the mountaintop and sigh. We want to think of life's valleys as temporary glitches in our mountaintop lives. Chambers reminds us it is the other way around.

Our son's mountaintop view was amazingly beautiful and awe inspiring. But just as he didn't stay long at the summit, we all must come back down to the valley. It is in the valley where our lives are lived.