The Voice in the Valley

A reminder of hope 

Have you ever been in a place where your plan stopped aligning with God’s will? 

I’m reminded of the story of the Valley of dry bones in the Bible, in Ezekiel 37. Ezekiel was led to a valley full of bones everywhere that were literally hopeless and dried out. The Lord asked Ezekiel would the bones live again and in the most natural way possible, Ezekiel responded, “how are you going to ask me a question that you already know the answer to? Aren’t you God?” ( okay give or take a few words:) Anyways then the Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones, to hear the word of the Lord; commanding breath to enter them, for them to come back to life, attaching tendons, and being covered by skin. And as Ezekiel was speaking, he heard a rattling noise and the prophesy began being fulfilled; bone by bone, flesh by flesh, and life upon life. Witnessing a vast army of a nation once hopeless and deep in despair in every way possible, being restored and used for God in a mighty way! 

Though it sounds eerie imagining, or being in the midst of completely dead bones coming back to life again, imagine how many times God appears in the midst of our lifeless investigation scene and breaks through the yellow caution tape with an altering piece of evidence that contradicts the natural evidence found on the scene, and signals spiritual life, shifted by the most simple whisper from heaven. 

Two questions: are your dead bones exposed, you know the broken, weak, embarrassing, brutal places no one can touch? And When they are, what is the source of the noise that is reaching your soul? Is it the truth of the word of God, or is it clutter in your mind, distractions from the world, or defeat from the enemy? 

The valley can get dirty 

It’s the place of vulnerability, exposure, construction, and revelation.

But even man was made from dirt

Even a blind man was healed by the recipe of dirt and saliva 

I remember when I faced my valley of dry bones dead on, it was December 9, 2019. And while that day has come and gone, I often realize that I’m still in that valley being slowly, molded back together again. Unusually enough, on that evening, I began feeling indescribably weak and having tense pain on the right side of my body, shaking hysterically, and slowly but very surely witnessing my body shut down. When I arrived at the hospital, it was the most peculiar scene the doctors had encountered. For someone my age with very little prior medical history, it was puzzling. The unbearable shaking over and over again with no certainty of how to stabilize the pain easily rendered me defeated.

Over 20 seizures. That very night. With no prior history of ever experiencing a seizure before a day in my life. 

But it didn’t stop there, the seizures came and went for months. I initially lost my mobility to walk, my independence, eventually my ability and right to drive, my job, my dependability of income, my hope, and did I mention my independence? 

As I slowly maintain my status of recovery, and sometimes even relapse into the unbearable seizing state, I’m grateful that what appears dead to me, is still living in Gods eyes. I won’t appear to you on a cloud of faith today, because that’s not quite where I am. Transparently, I’m still unveiling and searching for the truth of life that still exists in bones that I assured myself were useless down in my valley. Though my health has made significant growth, and countless tests have been ran to monitor this infirmity, I’ve been pressed by the war in my mind that sometimes appears as a valley of scattered thoughts of defeat. 

In reflection, I do often look back on what I feel I have lost, but what has really grasped a greater hold of my mind is acknowledging what I have had to give up, in order for me to hear more clearly from God. 

• I had to give up every idea of what I thought was normal. 

• I had to greet myself with grace everyday for things that I just did not have control over anymore. The functions I couldn’t perform as a wife and a mom, and the need to stop apologizing for not being able to show up for people in ways that I once did with ease. I had to expose the areas that I patched up with stickers that said “I’m okay” and face what was actually going wrong beneath that tough surface that I built up 

• I had to rest.... it’s mind-blowing how quickly you can discover that sleeping is not rest, laying still with scattered thoughts is not rest, and even rejuvenating off of a quick nap is not rest. I had to learn that if I didn’t make time to rest, God would make time for me. 

• And did I mention I had to give up my independence. I went from miss independent I can do bad all by myself, to miss sit down somewhere, you can’t actually do anything. At some times, I could not feed myself, bathe myself, get around from room to room on my own, and I am still taking baby steps on the road of driving again.

What dry place do you need to speak to in order for your dead places to live again?

Is it unforgiveness

Is it grief 

Is it heartbreak

Is it low self esteem 

Is it identity crisis 

Is it broken expectations 

Is it sickness and disease 

Is it financial lack 

Is it fear

Is it pride

Is it feeling inadequate

What are you willing to let go of to make room for what God is sure of... 

is it a plan that you detailed piece by piece that greeted a crash landing when one piece didn’t quite fit in the puzzle the way you intended for it to?

Is it the outline of how you envisioned the relationship would work out until it didn't?

Is it shifting the comfortability of your extravagant budget when you lose your job so you can learn to steward God's way?

Is it exchanging your schedule to spend more time in God’s presence?

Finding your voice in your valley could be.....

Could be changing the way you start your day, so your glass doesn’t have to just appear full but you actually feel full of courage and hope and faith- with devotion, worship, and prayer 

Could be moments of quiet, prayer, and meditation 

Could be rest

Could be finding peace in spending time alone and not always needing validation of the voices around you 

Could be giving up how the world sees you so you fall in love with how God sees you 

Could be making that phone call you’ve been avoiding to make peace with someone you've been struggling to forgive 

Could be letting go of excuses 

Could be taking time away from social media so that you can stop being confined by the weight of comparison 

Could be making a budget, and reaching out to someone who exemplifies good, consistent financial, stewardship to help hold you and your spending accountable

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord- Jeremiah 29:11

Exchange 

Your fear for his peace - Philippians 4:7, John 14:26-27

Your frustration for his assurance - James 1:12

Your confusion for his direction -

Proverbs 3:5-6, psalm 32:8, psalm 37:23, Jeremiah 29:11

Your sickness for his healing - Jeremiah 30:17, Isaiah 53:4-5

The spirit of heaviness for the garment of praise - Isaiah 61:3

Your weakness for his strength - Isaiah 40:29, 2 Corinthians 12:10

Your grief for his comfort - Psalm 46:1, Psalm 34:18, Joshua 1:9, Matthew 5:4

Your sadness for his joy - Romans 12:12, Psalm 94:19

And yes your dry bones for the living word of God

Whatever it is, stand in your valley, and use the authority of your voice to rehabilitate those dead places. Don’t stand in the pit digging for evidence of what’s dead, capitalize on the equipment you have to clear your ear gates and unleash the word of God over who and what you will become. You have what it takes to live! I pray you find your voice in the valley! 

Sending hope and love, 

Lia