Mountaintops and Valleys

GUEST BLOGGER: Shirley Andersen

In Vermont is a very high mountain, Mt. Washington. At the bottom of the mountain is lush green and dense foliage. As you drive up the mountain you pass mountain streams, small waterfalls, and spectacular views of the valley. The higher you get, you see rocks of various shapes, colors, and sizes. Then above the timberline, the air is clear and the view is indescribably beautiful. However, nothing grows up there. For all it’s peace and beauty, it is barren and fruitless. 

Fay Angus in her book, “How To Do Everything Right” she says: “If we lived only on the mountaintops of life, our souls would be barren. It is in the deep and low places, often the places hidden from everyone but God; it is in the valley of our sorrows and our griefs that we cultivate...understanding, compassion, courage, sensitivity, sympathy, and kindness.” 

The mountaintop may be quiet and peaceful and a restful place to be but growth takes place in the valleys. There is an old song, “God on the Mountain”. Here are a few of the words to the song:  

           Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain

           And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known

           But things change, when you’re down in the valley

           Don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone

           We talk of faith way upon the mountain

           But talk comes easy when life’s at its best

           Now it’s down in the valley, of trials and temptations

           That’s where your faith is really put to the test

           For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley

           When things go wrong, he’ll make them right

           And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times

           The God of the day, is still God in the night

As you read I Corinthians 12:12-26, we members of our local church are all part of the church body of believers who when one member hurts, we all feel that pain with them and when they rejoice, we all rejoice. I’ve read about the giant redwoods in the Sequoia National Forest and how they reach so high above our heads that we can barely see the tops. The giant sequoia is one of the oldest and largest living things on the earth. The tree grows straight and tall next to another reaching heights of 300 ft. in spite of their shallow roots. They have stood for years and years and years withstanding earthquakes, rainstorms, and fierce winds. The reason the trees are able to survive such stress is they grow in groves, entwining their shallow roots with each other to make themselves sturdy and strong. One tree alone could never survive; neither could one person. I Corinthians 1:10. 

I love my church family more than just about anything and I gain so much strength from them. At the end of the day, I’m grateful my blessings are bigger and better than the trials and temptations I go through in the valleys.