The Valley of Ho-hum.

You know those days when you feel like you're on top of the mountain with God and nothing's gonna bring you down?

Scriptural meanings are so clear to you and joy abounds in every situation. Prayers are answered, people are moved--the Spirit's working and you're excited because you feel like a part of it.

The only problem with a mountaintop experience is that it can't exist without the valley.

The days when you have a hard time just getting through school, or work, or your emails. When your prayer life goes from passionate to hum-drum and it seems like the only thing that's moving is the wind which blows against your heart and tosses it around.

Those days when you look back in your life and realize that the only person you've ever talked to about Christ is yourself. All those great witnessing spiels that you gave? The ones where multitudes come to Christ because you smiled at them? Yeah, they all happened as you drove to work or did your chores and were left to your imagination.

And then you find that your trying to focus on God and a line from a song comes to mind:

"I want to walk in a manner that's worthy of the Gospel"

So you goggle it because you just can't place the song. And then you end up reading something by John Piper about a walk worthy to God.  And you find that the song comes back,

"Your amazing grace is perfectly free." 

And you realize that yes, you feel blah because your wisdom teeth are coming in, it's raining outside, and you're kind of scattered as to what to do next for school but God's grace is always reaching out to you.

"Day by day Your grace, empowering me." 

I am not worthy of His love. And I mess up. Actually, it might be better to say that, now and then, I "get it kind of right"; because honestly, I'm messing up more than I'm "getting it right."

"Your grace, is all that I need. Though I am weak, Your grace, is mighty within me."

I pray, "Give me a zealous heart, oh God." "...You give me the strength I need, to keep walking this road." 

And then a knock.

*Knock, knock, knock*

But you don't pay attention because you think it's the plumber knocking around in the utility room.

The phone rings.

You run upstairs.

The knock comes again, much louder, and you realize that, "Oh my goodness, I have to answer the door." 

But no thought is given to all of your fears, all you know is that someone was knocking on the front door--which, though it IS the front door is NEVER used. You pull it open and fresh air comes in. A young man stands in front of you,

"Is your parents home?"

You don't cringe at the bad grammar but in your mind you can hear yourself saying to your younger sisters, "It's are your parents home."

You smile, "I'm sorry, no they aren't." And the smile is given a card and the mention of some free water test so you promise to give it to your parents and return to your computer where you're writing this blog post.

But then your heart is overwhelmed.

You wonder if he knows about Jesus. His face was kind, very kind, and you feel sorry that he has to go up to peoples homes (especially around here) and knock. Mostly because you feel like you could be in his exact position. Going door to door, trying to get some business. Yeah. It's far too real to me.

Back to the point however. My heart was overwhelmed with a pain for the lost--whether or not he was a Christian, as I opened the door my eyes were opened to a world beyond me.

Hey--guess what, it's not all about you.

Oooh, that hurt.

Then who is it about? Christ. Yeah, I knew that. And what did Christ do? He loved. He showed others the Fathers love. So if life is about Christ, and Christ is about love, then what do you think you should be about?

Living selflessly and loving selflessly and praying selflessly.

I might fail but still You are with me.

Isn't that good to know, good to sense, His arms wrapped around You telling You about His unfailing love?

He's calling you to walk in a manner that's worthy of the Gospel.  (3 John 1:6, Thess. 2:12, Cor. 1:10, Phil. 1:27, Eph. 4:1)

"I want to walk in a manner that’s worthy

Of the calling You’ve given to me 

I want to walk in a manner that’s worthy 

Of the gospel"

(The song btw, is Your Grace by Andy Park.)