Sometimes, God gives us the vision, promises His protection, and lets us dance on the mountaintop, basking in the joy of knowing He has something big and special for us to do. Oswald wrote, "We always have a vision of something before it actually becomes real to us."
Aha. That's the kicker. It has to become real. C.S. Lewis illustrated the journey to Christ as a walk down a mountain. You can stand at the top of the mountain and see your destination... that sweet little cottage that has a fresh cup of tea waiting for you. It feels so close. But, in order to get there, you have to hike down the mountain, out of sight of the house. So far out of sight, it may seem impossible that you will ever find it again. When your eye is on the prize, any task seems doable. As soon as the dark trees cover the view and your bug spray starts wearing off, it's like WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK IS HAPPENING.
I'll tell ya what's happening. You're on the right track.
In order for the vision to become reality, "God takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision." (Thanks, Oswald.) He will reveal the vision, the promise of what is coming, then He says, "Okay, kid, let's get ready for it." And forward we walk. But Satan is quick to jump in with temptation. Fear, discouragement, lies. Suddenly, the vision disappears and we feel abandoned. What happened to the vision?! WHEN DID THIS FOREST GET SO SCARY. In the moment, the time spent coming down the mountain feels endless. The goal is nowhere to be seen. Honestly, you forgot what you were moving towards in the first place.
Have you ever been in that spot? Did you see the vision, only to have it disappear behind a bend in the road? It is a terrifying place to be. It's hard, and uncomfortable, and exhausting. But, "Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have the patience...ever since God gave us the vision, He has been at work." I will be the first one to tell you patience is one of my biggest struggles. I want the problem fixed yesterday. I want the circumstances to change immediately. I like to take the reins and make stuff happen. But good things? Those take time. And God? God's got all the time in the world. He's not hurrying. He is taking His time to make sure I am in shape for the goal. There is literally nothing I can do to speed up the process. And that is okay. The process doesn't need speeding up. The process is what it is, and walking (trudging, slogging, stumbling... you pick) through it is precisely what God has in mind. The only way to get from point A to point B is to make the journey, however long it takes. No rushing. Hard as it is, there is great peace in that reality. It means I don't have to make things happen. What will be, will be. I only have to trust the vision, and press on.
I think the most important truth to hang on to is that the valley is a place we are brought. God takes us down on purpose, in order to bring us back up infinitely better prepared for Kingdom work. It doesn't make sense, but there it is. I don't think we ever recognize the valley as part of the plan until we come out on the other side. Or maybe we recognize it when we take our eyes off the ground and look up. Ah, that's it. There is joy in the valley if we look heavenward, and choose to see Jesus. A dear friend sent me this prayer, from a collection of Puritan prayers called "The Valley of Vision".
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
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