(This is a story I often use with students at the close of a retreat, camp, or missions trip)
I love the view of mountains. I absolutely love the view FROM the mountains. Interestingly, you'll notice something about mountains. The higher you get, the less green you see. It's mainly rock, dirt and snow. If you look down to the valley, you will likely see tons of vegetation and water. It's a picture of God's amazing creation, but it's also an important picture of how our lives work.
God will give us "mountain top" and "valley" experiences. We often think that because the mountain top experience are emotionally up times, we have experienced growth, and because the valley experiences are emotionally low times, we are experientially.
I am becoming more and more aware that the mountain top experiences are NOT GROWTH. They are moments of perspective. The valleys are not spiritual crash points, but instead the true opportunity for growth.
We made this a focal point of Summer Camp this year. It was illustrated this this beautiful picture I made:
God will give us "mountain top" and "valley" experiences. We often think that because the mountain top experience are emotionally up times, we have experienced growth, and because the valley experiences are emotionally low times, we are experientially.
I am becoming more and more aware that the mountain top experiences are NOT GROWTH. They are moments of perspective. The valleys are not spiritual crash points, but instead the true opportunity for growth.
We made this a focal point of Summer Camp this year. It was illustrated this this beautiful picture I made:
I've seen this take place in my life so many times. It has been especially true through the years for me. Whether it's battling through infertility, depression, ministry hardships or the loss of my dad, I've hated the valleys. At the same time, I would never trade what I've learned about myself and my Savior through those times is invaluable. The 2008-2009 year may have been the toughest year personally and in ministry that I've ever walked through, and I'm grateful for all I've learned through it.
As I've seen this theme this year, there is a major question I'm wrestling through...
If there's growth in the valleys, do we let them come to us, or are there times where we should intentionally run into the valleys?
As I've seen this theme this year, there is a major question I'm wrestling through...
If there's growth in the valleys, do we let them come to us, or are there times where we should intentionally run into the valleys?
3 comments:
I'm not sure if we ever want to run in the valleys, even it's the best thing to do....but I do know it's alot easier to enter those valleys with people standing alongside us. Like Frodo and Sam, it helps to have someone carry us when we can't carry the ring anymore. In our self contained society today, the power of walking through the valleys with community is vastly overlooked.
Wouldn't the answer to your last question, by necessity, be at most "it depends"? And perhaps it would depend a great deal on what experiences the metaphorical "valleys" can be taken to encompass. Granted, it's a very lawyerly tendency to answer questions that way.
Still, there have to be valleys that would teach valuable lessons and result in growth, but at such a huge cost otherwise that running into them can't be a advisable. For example, substance abuse and recovery and rehabilitation from substance abuse are surely experiences from which one can probably experience tremendous growth (if done the right way). I take it Rocki is an example of that. But, I'd also have no trouble assuming that Rocki would take great pains to ensure that her children never have similar experiences. And, rightly so. The lessons learned are important, but can be learned in other, more constructive, ways. I think.
Perhaps there's an element of inevitability that should be built into your query. If the "valley" is unavoidable, don't fight it, but rather hike into it. (That's probably torturing the metaphor beyond what's reasonable.) But, perhaps there's no need to create valleys for the purpose of growth.
On the other hand, am I correct that there is a long and well-established tradition in religious communities of artificially creating some "valley" experiences for the very purpose you mention, opening onesself for growth? Vows of silence, fasting, self-flaggelation seem like just a few examples of that.
Good thoughts Jamie and Rob...
I think the real question I'm wrestling with is not an "If" question, but a "When?" question.
When do we fight the move to the valley?
When do we welcome "the hike" (metaphor torture or not, it works) into the valley?
When do we seek out the valley?
The biggest realization I've had in the midst of this is a common misconception that happens among Christians. Because we've labeled "perspective" moments "Mountain top experiences", I think we take up a mindset that we grew because the mountain top experience metaphor creates a picture that implies we're moving UP (there we go again... maybe the metaphors are the problem?!?!).
Now, as to my final question, I think I'm not wrestling with an "If", but a "When" (meaning I worded it poorly).
When do we fight the move to the valley?
When do we welcome "the hike" (metaphor torture or not, it works) into the valley?
When do we seek out the valley?
Jamie, I think you've outlined examples that could fit each of these categories divided into these categories.
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