Down in the Valley...(originally posted April 2010)

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…you are with me.
Psalm 23:4a (NRSV)

(Jesus said) My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.
John 10:27-30 (NRSV)

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 7:17b (NRSV)

It seems as though a lot of people I care about are in the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ right now. I’ve been sending out prayers for peace and comfort to so many of my friends…so many people I know are wondering, “Why did she die?” “Why did he have to go so soon?” “Why does this hurt so much?” “How could this happen?” “Why now?” “Will it ever stop hurting?” “Why me?” Unanswerable questions. Questions that tear your heart out because they are unanswerable. Are you in that valley? Or have you ever been?

When we’re in the valley, what can we do? Do we have to just suffer? Mercifully, thankfully, that question has an answer. I only had to look at the Bible readings for this Sunday to find that answer. And the answer to that is no. The Bible readings are so good that I couldn’t pick just one verse to talk about, so I picked verses from each one.

First – at some time in our lives, each of us has to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. God does not promise us that we will never suffer. But he promises this – Jesus will walk right through that valley side-by-side with us. We can ask him all those unanswerable questions, which are really just cries of pain. He’ll listen, and he’ll comfort us, because he, too, knows what it is to lose people he loves and to hurt. He’s ‘been there, done that.’ That’s the beauty of Jesus being true God AND true human.

In John, Jesus promises that nothing, not one thing, can tear us away from his hold. That means, when we are so far down in the valley that we don’t have the strength to hold on to God, God will still hold on to us. When we’re so angry at God that we want to push him away, God holds on to us. When we’re so depressed and confused and wondering if God is even real, God holds on to us. He will never, ever, ever let us go. When we’re in the valley, that may not seem like much comfort, but it’s God’s hold on us that will eventually pull us out of the valley, and then when we’re looking back at the valley and realizing God was always there – well, it is amazing grace indeed.

Look at the reading from John again. Focus on one word – perish. I like this translation because it uses that word. Jesus promises us eternal life. He doesn’t promise that we won’t die here on earth, but he promises that we won’t “perish” – become utterly destroyed. Again, that may not seem like much when you’re grieving, but for someone to be utterly destroyed, I think, means they are forgotten, never to be seen again. And we know that we will see our loved ones again – someday. In the meanwhile, memories keep that person in our hearts, love for our dear ones reminds us that they are alive with God.

The last promise, to me, is the most breathtaking of all. It’s one of the most comforting things I’ve ever read. God promises to wipe every tear from your eyes. Not to take away the pain, but to sit beside you while you cry it out and work through it. God’ with you, holding the Kleenex and wiping away your tears. No matter how hard you cry, no matter how long, no matter when, or where, or how many times. God stays beside you, wiping away your tears. Loving you through all your pain. He’ll never get tired of sitting with you when you cry. He’ll never tell you to stop crying, that you’ve cried enough. He’ll just be with you, with that eternal Kleenex, wiping away your tears and loving you. Helping you to go through the journey of pain, grief, and suffering into healing and hope.

It takes a while to get out of the valley. I know this. I’ve been in the valley – and recently, mourning the death of my grandparents and the loss of a significant friendship. Sometimes you get partway out, stumble, and fall back down to the bottom. But even then, God is there. You are never, never alone. Even if you think you are. God is always there. Sometimes God doesn’t look like God – he may look like a friend, or a pastor, or a parent, or a member of the congregation…whoever helps you, offers you comfort, well, that’s God being with you. And when none of those are around, and you’re suffering alone in the dark – God’s there too. If you’re in the valley, I pray that you can somehow hear and trust these words, and that you can find some peace and comfort in them.