Valleys Before Mountaintops
So often, you see the end results of someone’s victorious triumph and forget all the tumbles that preceded the glory. You celebrate a birth with hardly a second thought to the months spent waiting in expectation. You celebrate a child’s first steps while crawling memories fade to the background. You attend a graduation and forget the years of studying that had to come first, or a wedding and forget all the dating preparations that created a foundation for unity. You cheer on Olympic athletes without knowing all the setbacks and losses they endured to reach their pinnacle. And in your own life, you want to reach the joyous mountaintop moments without setting foot in the lonely valley at its base. You forget mountaintops can’t happen until you’ve spent time in the valley. It’s what makes you strong enough to endure the climb to the mountain’s peak. Don’t rush the process. Instead, trust God’s promise to share His treasures with you after enduring the trials.
“As his children, we will receive all that he has for us. We will share what Christ receives. But we must share in his sufferings if we want to share in his glory.” Romans 8:17 NIRV