Light in the Valley

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 NKJV

With the snow melting, the sun shining, and summer quickly approaching, I have begun contemplating mountain town summer activities. Though I am sad to watch this seasons ski season melt away, I am anticipatory of climbing, backpacking, camping, and most of all conquering fourteeners. Those who know me, know I am a fourteener enthusiast. I have climbed 23 of the 58 fourteeners in Colorado. I plan the majority of my summer camping based around where these glorious mountains reside. As I mapped out which peaks to conquer this summer, I reflected on past climbs. One specific climb stood out to me- my climb up La Plata Peak.

The trail begins low down in a valley. You cross a gorge, are met with a small uphill climb, and then are dumped out in a little valley before the initial ascent of the peak. Due to changing weather patterns on top of these peaks, it is most wise to start any fourteener climb before sunrise. Due to La Plata’s lengthy trail, I began climbing at 3:00 AM. Upon hitting the trail, I ran into a significant problem, my headlamp was out of battery. One friend had forgotten hers, and my other friend, who was new to Colorado, had purchased a cheap headlamp for our trip which barely put off any light. We trudged, carefully through the darkness, unable to clearly see what was ahead. We could see just enough to press onward.

Psalm 119:105 says “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Sometimes God gives us just enough light to push forward. There are seasons that He has us in dark valleys, where He asks us to trust him with each step. He knows exactly what we can handle and his timing is perfect. If God wanted us to see fully what was ahead He would give us a light beam or construction flood light. But if we could see everything ahead, we would have no reason to trust Him. We would have the information we needed. We would see clearly what’s ahead, how to get out of the valley. God wants to draw us to Him. He wants to build a trust based relationship with us. If we fall in the dark, He wants to pick us back up and help us keep moving forward because He is a loving father.

At the end of the valley leading up to La Plata Peak, the sun began to rise. We were able to take larger, clearer steps because of the light given to the situation. As we began out ascent out of the valley, up the mountain we took in the beauty all around us. In the same way, God reveals Himself to us in beautiful ways as he guides us. We are called to trust and follow His Word. Dive deep into scripture, which reveals His glory.