As we have been graciously privileged to enter into the third quarter of 2020, we need to show a heart of gratitude to God, the giver of life. Once there is life, there is hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark it looks. Nobody has ever had a smooth sail in life. There are moments when all seems to be going well and there are times when we feel as if all is over and then suddenly, there is a turnaround.
A valley is a low area between hills or mountains, typically with a river running through it. In geology, a valley or dale is a depression that is longer than it is wide. The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive of geography to characterize the form of valleys. Hence, a valley moment can be used to describe a situation in which a person feels very helpless and feels the route of escape is limited. A mountain moment signifies a place of rest and accomplishment.
Life is undoubtedly a mixture of both mountain and valley moments. My focus in this article is on valley moments because it is in such moments that people begin to have suicidal thoughts while others get depressed. We have the power to make life what we want it to be. Our achievements depend on how we deal with life issues that come our way.
It is a fact that life is not a bed of roses. It is characterized by challenges that necessitate endurance and perseverance. There is always a reason for the valley moments we go through. They help us appreciate the mountain moments. You cannot appreciate the mountain moment if you have not climbed out of a valley.
Why do we need valley moments?
A valley moment teaches us to endure, persevere, and aim high. It strengthens our resolve, develops character and teaches us to be patient. When learnt, such lessons make reaching the mountain top even sweeter. At the top, we will learn to appreciate that all the experiences were part of a process to build us to be better, stronger and more steadfast.
How can we climb out of the valley?
In valley moments, you need friends who can reach out to you
We read in Psalm 23:4 that, “Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, because you are with me, I fear no harm. Your rod and your staff give me courage.” When you are in your valley moment, for instance, a difficult transition from school to work or between jobs, struggling with family issues, feeling depressed or any other circumstances such as health or financial situation, you need some good friends like Jonathan in the Bible to help you muster the courage to fight till you overcome.
You need a positive mindset
The human mind is a powerful tool that can make a lot of difference in any given situation. Positive thoughts give you extra energy that help you to keep fighting but when negativity sets in, it creates room for self-doubt. This further makes you feel like a loser.
Depend on a supernatural intervention
David in the Bible is a very interesting character. His life was plagued with a complex conspiracy to kill him. His enemies also wanted to end his rule as a king and even his own son, Absalom, pursued him. In all these difficulties, David called on God to come to his rescue. God remained faithful and provided a route of escape for him all his life till he died a natural death at old age.
Joseph also struggled through life. He was dumped into a well by his own brothers, later sold into captivity, found himself in Potiphar’s house, went to prison and eventually became a Prime Minister. God comes through for those who walk closely with Him in their difficult times.
God came through for Daniel in the lion’s den. He did same for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were thrown into the fire. Jonah in the belly of the fish cried to God and He came through for him.
Irrespective of the situation you find yourself in, call on God and He will come through for you. A walk with God in the storms brings peace. He has assured us of His ever-present help in times of need. He assures us that He will never leave nor forsake us. It is appropriate to depend on God for intervention in any given situation because there is nothing too hard for Him.
Since valleys have rivers flowing through, it means there is an opportunity for fishing and farming
Typical of valleys, you would see water. Once there is water, there is an opportunity for growth. In every bad situation, when you look beyond the obscurity, you would discover some opportunities that can help turn your situation around. There are some opportunities that can be seen only by those in the valley. Those on the mainland would not be privy to them. In your valley moments, you can plant and fish in the valley and sell your produce to those on the mainland.
Whatever situation you find yourself in, do well to remain calm and find a means of rising above the storm. This will help you to see the needed opportunities and explore them to gain the leverage to move to your next level.
Recently, I watched a short video of a young lady who got pregnant in 2009 at the age of 14 and moved in to live with the man who impregnated her. She again got pregnant with the second child and then the third. She took a bold decision to move out of her matrimonial home to start fending for herself and her three children. She sold on the street and later enrolled in junior high school. Over time, she wrote her final exams and excelled. She was admitted in Mawuli Senior High School in 2019; ten years after she dropped out of school. She is aspiring to be a midwife.
The determination in her even tells me she can achieve it. There are countless young women who, through pregnancy, either attempted abortion or gave birth, refused to rise from that fall to pursue their dreams. The big lesson to pick from her is to rise above obscurity. She did not allow the ten-year break in education to affect her learning. For her to have been offered admission in Mawuli School means she performed creditably well.
I know in the valley moment, you will hardly find people to cheer you on. You need to rise and cheer yourself on. Get up, clean the dust on your butt, and get to work. Go and rewrite that paper that you failed. Gather the pieces together and finish that apprenticeship. Work on that marriage you feel like giving up on. The Lord is your helper. You can do it when you put your mind to it. Giving up is not the way to go because it makes you a failure forever but rising up gives you another opportunity to do things differently and the probability to win is high.
Seek help from the right places and I am sure you will see the needed growth and progress. Your life is not your own. Don’t attempt suicide. You can rise from the valley to the mountains and even the sky if you don’t give up. If there is hope for a tree that, if it is cut off, even at the smell of water, it will come back to life, then there is hope for you. Just as dry bones shall rise again, you will also rise again if you speak and encourage yourself out of the situation.
God bless you as you purpose in your heart to rise. Heaven is backing you.
Written by: Sophia Kafui Teye (BSc, MBA, GSE Cert. and CA Ghana (Student Member))
Author of the under listed books;
Start Right: A Guide to Financial Investments in Ghana
Overcoming Infertility: What to do When Childbirth Delays
Contemporary Parenting
Stepping up Your Life
Email Address: [email protected]
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of the organization she works for
