barrykind
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Member # 35
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THE VALLEY
Mark Baker was going through a difficult time in his life when his brother Tim, a noted geologist, told him the following story: "When I was out doing a geological survey recently, I noticed an interesting thing about the way the world is made.
Our team climbed up to the tallest mountain in the area, and we were exhilarated by the view. Mountaintop experiences are great. However, when you are up that high you are above the timberline. You see trees only up to a certain altitude, and above that they can't survive. On the very top of the mountain there is no growth. But if you look down you notice an interesting thing. All the growth is in the valleys."
This is true in our spiritual lives as well; when we are on top of the mountain we are engulfed in the moment, leaving no room for growth. However, when we're in the valley we tend to grow by leaps and bounds. I'm not saying that the mountaintops are not good or that we should never seek them; I'm merely stating that we should never overlook the importance of the valley. After all, one can never climb to the top of a mountain without having first been forced to travel through the valley to get there.
The Super Bowl is not won in February in front of a capacity crowd with thousands of flashing cameras illuminating the stands; the Super Bowl is won in August with individuals training in weight-rooms and practice fields where no cheering fans can be found. The biggest game in football is won by individuals who are growing through sweat and toil at the bottom of the mountain. Possessing the determination to climb to the very top, each of these individuals has paid his dues for one short glimpse of glory, only for the process to start all over again next season.
Until we reach our final destination we will have traveled through many valleys before ever seeing even one beautiful mountaintop, only to travel more valleys just to reach the top of another mountain. Every valley we travel is one step closer in helping us not only get to the top, but also appreciate all that we see while there. If we had never walked through a dark and painful valley, how could we truly appreciate what we find at the top of the mountain? Constantly living at the top would be wonderful, but just like trees we could not survive the high altitudes. God knows exactly what it takes for each of us to grow, and just how long we can endure the pressures of high altitudes.
Asking God to remove you from a valley would be like a football player asking his coach to exclude him from training. His pain and suffering may temporarily be relieved, but when the big game approaches he will not be prepared and could possibly even get hurt due to his lack of conditioning. The coach knows that if a player is going to be a successful starter in tip-top shape; he must first go through the rigorous training before ever suiting up on game day.
As you go through growing pains, keep in mind any athlete or trainer will tell you "No pain no gain." Before a player has ever run sixty yards for a touchdown in a game, he has run that particular pattern a thousand times or more in practice until he physically felt he could not take another step.
The game is truly won on the practice field, not on the playing field. So remember, when you feel as though you are at your lowest point, you're actually winning the game.
BY: MIKE COLLINS
-------------------- The HEART of the issue is truly the issue of the HEART! John 3:3;Mark 8:34-38;James 1:27
Posts: 3529 | From: Orange, Texas | Registered: Jun 2002
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