Child in the valley

posted on: 8.30.2011

© † mexico rosel †
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
—Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
A child. The Lord called me a child a month ago. I remember feeling appalled! How could He say that to me? Immature? Me? Well, sure, compared to 40 yr old. I was deeply offended. It wasn't until recently that I understood what He meant. As a child, my mom would pray Psalm 23 with me every night. It is engraved in my heart. It's no wonder He used it to confront me with who I really am:
Both the child and the cynic walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The cynic focuses on the darkness; the child focuses on the Shepherd. —Paul Miller
I'm a cynical girl. Yep that's right! I don't believe in good intentions, I cannot easily receive love from other people and I lack hope. That is who I am.
I have to say it was hard to admit it to myself and ask for forgiveness from the Lord. But even harder to confess it through here. No one likes to come face to face with their sins, much less expose them. However, I am still a sinner and I cannot pretend to be something I'm not.

Have you ever gone through a dark time? I'm not sure if drowning, along with other near death experiences, count as walking through the valley of death but I can assure you the valley of weeping has a big resemblance to it. I've walked it before, I'm sure... as a cynic. Now the Lord is asking me to walk through it as a child.

See, a girl with a smile is lazy, selfish and cynical. But the Jesus in me is the opposite of all those. With Jesus, I am a child who trusts, believes all things, hopes all things, & delights being loved. That is why the Lord called me a child; I am His.

I need to focus on the One who leads, what I know (His promises) and not worry about what I don't.

I know He is my Shepherd(Psalm 23:1); that I do not have to fear the unknown for He is with me. That He has done everything in His power to prove His love for me (John 3:16).


I am going to embrace Him like a child embraces her Father and walk with the confidence of knowing He will make my feet like the deers (Habakkuk 3:19); they rise amidst the temporal.

14 Smiles:

  1. It really is amazing what we can become with the help of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

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  2. Que hermosa fotografĂ­a.
    Me encanta tu manera de hacer foto.|
    Un beso bonita.

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  3. aww, i love how we can be like children to Him! it really allows us to live so joyfully and freely. what a neat word from your Father.

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  4. On the inside, I am a terribly ugly person. IT's only because of Jesus these things can be changed. And boy do I need changing!
    Walking through that valley couldn't be harder, but I know it will be worth it!

    P.S. letter en route!

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  5. love this, your honesty is beautiful. i told my husband last night that i finally saw why certain things and certain people were in my life... its highlight and confront what pieces of my old attitude are still left.

    all my life before i started living for God i was "overly independent" i didn't trust people and taught myself to recognize the worst in someone so that i was "aware" and could "protect myself". I don't react the same way i use to but i would find myself still not trusting people. i asked God the other day to "change my heart" and He told me, He already did, that I already have His heart, and that I had to line up and transform how I see people and to them how He does.... yea, so i've been marinating on that the past few days. this post was amazing girl.

    xoxoxox
    ashley
    www.laluceimagery.blogspost.com

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  6. Oh sweet sister, I love seeing your heart. God is constantly encouraging em through your authentic words - thanks for sharing!

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  7. Ah yes. The "I can relate" reaction button says it all :)

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  8. perfectly put ... love your blog ... coming from the wiegands ... and now i'm one of your newest followers ... so nice to meet you in the blogging world!

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  9. i love it when you write. love your heart! xo

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  10. I love your writing! I can always seek you for encouragement :)

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  11. Thank you all for your encouraging words! I pray God continues to speak to each of you, individually. Whether it be through here or in your own personal time with Him.

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  12. This is cool! I had that same reaction the first time He called me "child" too. Now I love it.

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  13. Hi! I just found your blog; I recently started my blog, so I'm looking for other bloggers that I have similar passions. Great work on your blog and I adore your heart for God! One thing I wanted to say was in this post you said, "This is who I am" I felt compelled to remind you that that isn't who you are sweetheart! Who you are is who God created you to be originally, and I think one of the things we get most tripped up on is that we think something is our personality or we are "just this way" but if we notice, like you did, something that doesn't align with the Kingdom, (which is extremely wise of you), then we know that that thing isn't good and it's not of God so therefore it's not who we were MADE to be! I hope this makes sense, I'm so inspired by you for choosing to do the tough thing of looking at your flesh and coming clean with God so He can shape your character more and more, keep bloggin and thanks!

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