Fruit in the Valley
John 15:4 New International Version (NIV)
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
In the summer of 2018, my son and I took a hike to the top of Mount Konocti. It was one of the more memorable moments in his final year of life. Mount Konocti is a volcano that provides a beautiful backdrop to life in my hometown. The views are spectacular after making the long hike to the top. When I returned to my hometown in the summer of 2019 after my son’s accident the mountain peak stood as a reminder of better days.
“Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.”— Billy Graham
The words of Billy Graham are a reminder to me about the role of each high and low plays in the development of my faith. I have been able to reflect on the many mountain top moments in my life and remembered how easy it was to praise God in those moments. When times are good it is easy to be thankful for the blessings but what happens when we find ourselves in the valleys? God is unchanging but our situations are not. We can look up and remember who He was on the top of the mountain and also remember He is the same in the darkest valley.
At the foot of Mount Konocti you will find the rich soil of Big Valley. The lines of vineyards and orchards cross the valley and produce pears and grapes. The grapes are the result of staying connected to the vine. When we find ourselves in the valley, we also must stay connected. We need to connect to God by reading the Bible, prayer, and worship. Surviving in the valley of grief requires us to stay connected even when our hearts long for love and they feel like they have lost the ability to feel joy. The book of Galatians reminds us of the fruit that is produced when we stay connected.
Galatians 5:22-23 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Our lives are full of mountaintops and valleys. The terrain of life is ever changing but God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Our grief places us in the valley far from the peak of the mountain. We must remember the inspiration found at the peaks as we grow in the shadow of the the valley floor.
