To share the hidden valley lessons gleaned in the mundane, share the delightful, unexpected gifts as they come, and embrace the astounding beauty of living the unique, individualized story The Author is creating out of each life.
~ Part 5 of Hidden Valley Simplicity's blog purpose.
The entire purpose statement can be found here
and
Part 1 of this break-it-down series
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4a Part 4b Part 4c Part 4d Part4eand
Part 1 of this break-it-down series
Part 2
Part 3
At the end and of this series. At the theme of my life.
Life in the hidden valley. . .
The life no one sees.
The faithfulness of getting up early for that time at the feet of God. . .
Controlled temper when the kids have done, for the millionth time, what you've told them not to do. . .
The money privately, and sacrificially given, to someone in greater need. . .
Putting aside of the desire to read at night, and instead, concentrate on your spouse and their needs. . .
Notes of encouragement written and sent. . .
Endless books read to your children. . .
The new outfit still on the rack in the adult section while the kids' section has a few less. . .
Tears over failures and shortcomings with prayer for help in doing it better. . .
Intercessory prayer sent up for those who will never know. . .
Being an unknown in the ministry world but the hero in the world of small eyes. . .
Cookies baked, crafts done, and outdoor play indulged in, as personal hobbies are shelved for another day. . .
It's a lonely place to be most days, and sometimes, it's fraught with feelings of uselessness and insignificance. No one sees, no one notices, no one cares. But there is a richness in this valley that even the mountain tops of life don't carry. It is in the fertile soil of hiddenness that beauty grows.
The beauty of True Love.
Love that goes beyond itself and serves the Creator by caring for those He loves. Love that is quiet and needs not, to be noticed. Love that sacrifices in order to give.
There are life lessons here that water these lessons, with the ray of His light lending to the nourishment that invokes life into the heart of love.
As this life emerges in our souls, so does the ability to catch the roses that embellish this place in the hidden valley. What our eyes were closed to in previous years because of discontent and self-pity, we begin to see.
It comes in the simplest forms.
A wide, toothy smile. A hot cup of coffee in an early morning stream of sunlight coming through the fog. Butterflies. A song that's perfect in the moment. Raindrops on leaves. The secure warmth your spouses' arms. A passage in a book. A verse that suddenly highlights itself. Birches flashing silver in the wind. Vivid blue skies. Garbled I love you's with arms thrown suddenly around the neck. The adoring gaze of your spouse. A note from a friend in the mail. Wild strawberries to pick and eat. The robin fighting the worm. The hug from a friend. That worship song in church. Seeing your child grasp a concept (finally). The love note from your man. Snuggles on rainy nights. Wild flowers.
They were all un-noticed before. But life here in the valley changes that. In it's simplicity we learn just what beauty is. What significance truly is when viewed in heaven's radiance.
I love the mountain tops of life but I have come to love the valley more. The valley is where He is closest and where beauty carries a deep poignancy that stirs my heart til it aches with tears.
I find my true meaning in the valley. The purpose of my life. Here, living out the individualized story The Author has written for me to live, I find an astounding beauty that I am not willing to give up. Not for all the well-known mountain tops of the world.
