Ugh. I hate that it’s been almost 2 weeks since my last entry, especially since I had something simmering in spirit. Seems as though everything in my life revved up at once. C’est la vie right now!

At the beginning of the year, I was very intentional with my prayer board. I read my way through Fervent by Priscilla Shirer and wrote a prayer for each of the strategies. Early last week, I was in my closet revisiting those prayers. In one of the prayers I asked for my words to come to life in an artistic fashion, like the words of King David. Now, this is why people say you need to read your bible…all those Psalms written by David weren’t beautiful pictures. And the ones that were, well, he had to go through some things to be able to verbally illustrate. I started laughing to myself, and I was like Lord, can I take that part of the prayer back?!?!?

How many times do we think about what someone else has done or can do and wish that we had the same talent/skill/zeal, never once stopping to consider what that person went through for the expression of that gift? So, I’m going to pass on what David had to deal with and focus on Tiffany. We each have our own valleys, ya know? Psalm 23 was presented to us this past Sunday in a way which we could examine with new eyes. For 2 weeks in a row, David has been schooling me. Myron Golden walked us through this passage of scripture as if it were art. He reminded us that there is always a mountain on either side of a valley (otherwise it couldn’t be a valley). The valley is intended for us to go through…the scripture doesn’t say we get stuck and perish there. Once we reach the other side of the valley, there is a table AND an anointing waiting.

When I think about it, my life has been a series of mountains and valleys. I don’t know about you, but that gives me a different perspective of the valleys in life. It actually makes me look forward to them because I know the Lord has something prepared for me once I make it through. Again, by default, you cannot experience the fullness of a mountain without the valley. The two lessons from David:

• Comparison is the thief of joy. Be you, how the Lord created you in Christ! You don’t need to be like anyone else to experience God’s abundance.
• Grow through what you go through. The valley is purposeful for every season of your life, and His goodness and mercy as always there with you.