The Beautiful Valley

Good morning. It's freezing here in Tx this morning! A good morning for coffee and reflection again on the past 2 years. Below is a painting. It now hangs in our room. I love it. It is a reminder of what the Lord taught me during this time. Looking back, I'm not sure the Lord has given me an image that has slowly revealed itself more and more like the image below. I explain it all in the post. What I didn't explain is how the girl in the vision was in different poses as the years went by. Sometimes I would see "her" on her knees, sometimes just sitting, sometimes standing praising. I think it also is significant to where the Lord took me and brought me from during that time.

Sometimes I wish I wouldn't have been wrapped up in "me". I wish I could have remembered every second "for your Glory Lord". It's so incredibly hard to do that. I think I did a good job at times and a VERY bad job other days. To expect suffering b/c I am a believer is something to wrestle with in itself...but to walk through it, thankful for it, that is another story....thankful He hasn't given up on me.

8.24.2009

My Painting

If you have read a few of my posts during my road of infertility/miscarriage then you may remember me also talking about what I believe the Lord is teaching me during all of this. I recently wrote about the Valley of Baca in my post for Join the Journey (Psalm 84). I have also written about other times the Lord has asked me to praise Him on this road, in this Valley. 

So I put a plea out a while back for anyone who knew of a painter. I feel like the Lord gave me an image probably 2-3 years ago and I believe he has revealed His will piece by piece through that image until I now have a full picture of what He has been teaching me. My friend Sara had someone do the painting for me. It's beautiful and hangs in our room. It shows a girl in the middle of the valley surrounded by flowers with mountains in the background. The flowers are important b/c I believe the Lord is asking me to enjoy the things around me, to take in the beauty of my surroundings and praise Him for those things as well. Tara did a great job. I tried not to picture what the painting would look like since someone else was doing it instead of me and I think it turned out just perfect. In the clouds it also says " Do not be afraid or discouraged. The Lord God is with you wherever you go." It's almost hidden so you can't really see it.....

As we have started the process of trying again, this painting has helped me. It's reminded me of what all the Lord has taught me during this time and turned my mind/heart back to Him. I want to be singleminded in Christ and it is often so hard to do when I also have anxiety, fear, and other emotions going on. So thank you Tara (and Sara). Thanks for giving me a physical reminder that I can daily look at to remind me of Christ's work and faithfulness in my life.