Valleys..

This morning, as I was sitting in church, I was flipping through my dad's Bible and I found this paper with the following poem written on it. It's amazing that even though a person may be gone you can still feel their heart, soul, voice, and encouragement through one simple poem.

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,

full of trouble, sorrow, and woe.

It's then I have to remember,

it's in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountaint top

and never experienced pain,

I would never appreciate God's love

and would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn

and my growth is very slow,

somtimes I need the mountain tops,

but it's in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand

why things happen as they do,

but I am very sure of one thing

my Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing

when I picture Christ on the cross,

He went through the valley of death;

His victory was Satan's loss.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord

and use my life each day

to share your love with others

and help them find their way.

Thank you for valleys, Lord

for this one thing I know,

the mountain tops are glorious,

but it's in the valleys I grow.

~JM~