Finding Home By Way Of The Valley

I found home by way of the valley road, through mountain treks uphill and steep. Following the winding streams, I was thirsty so I drank the cool water, but I was still thirsty.

I kept going, looking for home. Where is my home? I\’m lost. The rains came down and I waded through the thick muddy water, my feet got stuck a lot.

Where do I belong? I longed to belong. Did anyone out there know who I was? Did anyone out there love me?

I kept walking. I met other travelers along the way. But, they seemed just as lost as I was, trying to pull me this way and that. So I kept going, it was frightening walking at night, in the darkness. Was some unknown thing going to get me?

Sometimes I could feel rocks and pebbles being thrown at me. They hurt my body. They hurt my mind, and they hurt my soul. Where were they being thrown from? Who was throwing them? Those rocks wrecked me.

It was then that I hid. I found a cave to take refuge in. I stayed there longer than I should have.

So I began again on my journey to find home. I walked through fog for a while, I wonder if it was as long as it seemed?  I couldn\’t see where I was going. Would I slip and fall? Would I trip on a rock and fall down?

I got really hungry along my way. There wasn\’t much to eat in the wilderness I was wondering around in. I took a drink from a stream again thinking it may help with my hunger. No luck. My stomach panged and was knotted up inside.

When I finally found my way out of the wilderness, I found myself in a valley again. Not another valley I thought. Am I ever going to find home?

At least this valley was green, and I heard the sounds of wildlife. It dawned on me. It had been a long time since I heard birds singing or saw butterflies playing.

I noticed that this valley was different, the path became straight. Wait, is that voices I hear up ahead? I wanted to see who was up ahead. It sounds like a man\’s voice and children are laughing. I began to hurry.

I came to a clearing, and it dawned on me that I hadn\’t been in the fog since I entered the valley. And, the clearing was a beautiful meadow with such brilliant shades of green I have ever seen. The flowers are so stunning with magnificent shades of purple, blue, red, orange, white and is that gold, and scarlet too?  

I started laughing out loud at the sheer beauty as I took notice of the sun\’s warmth. I hadn\’t felt the warmth of the sun in a long time. The children heard me and looked my way as I was standing under a ginormous weeping willow tree.

The man turned to me with a smile and said \” welcome traveler, are you thirsty?\”  I answered \” very thirsty sir\”.

\” Come, have a drink\”. As I got closer to where the man and children were, I heard the familiar sound of a stream.

As I approached, the children were smiling at me. The man bent down to retrieve a drink of water for me from the stream. He offered it to me, and I drank the water from his palm cupped hands.

I soon realized this water tasted like none other that I\’ve had before. It was the best tasting, and oh so thirst quenching and filling. As I looked up, my eyes met his, his gaze held mine. Then he said \” you have been wayward for far to long. It\’s time child, follow me\”.

\”Jesus!\” \”Yes! Yes!\” \” I will follow you.\” \”I have been looking and searching and lost. The valley path became straight and led me straight to you.\” He said \” I know my child, I have called you by name. I Love you, welcome home.\”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Proverbs 3:56 NLT

Photo by Hans Luiggi on Unsplash

*This post was originally published on January 19, 2021