In The Dark Valley of Waiting: Hope Comes With the Good Shepherd.

When life’s adversity thrusts us into a valley, shadows loom large and darkness creeps in. Despair can threaten to undo us, and doubts about God’s goodness can overwhelm us.

Here, in the valley of despondency, the Good Shepherd whispers, “Don’t be afraid. I see you. I am with you. I will protect and comfort you. You are mine!”

As a child, I never liked being left alone in the dark. In my darkened bedroom, ordinary objects seemed larger and often took on frightening forms. A simple lamp or doll on a shelf, strangely, became a large, ugly monster. Legs that hung out of the covers or dangled over the side of the bed were sure to be snatched!

During my teenage years, we lived on a long country road with no electricity. No streetlamps lit our dark corner of the world. The inky night sky was pinpricked with a million stars, and the moon cast its waning shadows, ever-changing with the calendar.

With the moon and stars as our outdoor night lights, kerosene lamps lit our small home, filling it with warmth and a sense of security, yet casting fearful shadows that often made my heart race at the slightest unfamiliar sound outside.

As darkness settles over the countryside, the sounds of the night seem far more pronounced than in the light of day.

At dusk, the day’s cacophony of birds settles into nearby tree branches, tucking little ones into twigged nests. Peepers begin their nightly chorus, which grows deafening in the still night air—the cry of a fox startles, pairing with the distant hoot of an owl.

Yet nature’s night is far different from the dark night of our souls.

When our souls are troubled, overcome with grief and shrouded by discouragement, we long for the rays of morning light, yet they often do not come when we had hoped. We grow restless in our waiting, anxious for relief.

I have found that when I am left waiting in the dark, with no apparent way forward out of my difficulties, I tend to grow restless. I want God to rescue me. I’m praying actively, asking God to pull me out of the pit. Yet when the wait feels too long, and the Rescuer seems silent, I can begin to take things into my own hands. I start seeking outside help, including new voices offering wisdom I may have overlooked. I might even search the internet to see how others have resolved similar dark-valley dilemmas, longing for one small truth to lead me out of the valley I have found myself in.

Slowly, I turn my eyes and heart away from the Good Shepherd. I lean on my human intellect and step out of the valley’s waiting room, seeking ways to solve my problem and looking for a way out of my pain.

God calls us to live fully present in our times of trial. To sit still, to wait on Him, and even to rest while we wait. Resting in the wait is quite uncharacteristic of me. It feels as if I am not working hard enough to get out of the dark valley of adversity.

1 Chronicles 16:11 reminds us to look to the Lord. Always search for Him and seek His face. In this, our soul cries out, “My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.” Psalm 119:25.

When we are eager to escape the wait and anxious to climb out of our dark valley of despair, we need to cry out to the One who is our strength. Allow the Word of truth to pour refreshment over our parched, needy, and depleted spirits. Rest. Wait. Hope. For He, the Good Shepherd, is our Hope in the waiting.

Being still is so hard. It’s not human nature. To be still in adversity is even harder. The world tells us to fix it, solve it, and wish it away, but “do not” sit idle.

Oftentimes, God’s way seems upside down and backward. I guess, in the eyes of the world, it can seem that way. But God calls us to a new way, one that offers life, refreshment, and flourishing. He calls us to bring our troubles to the Divine, to rest and wait, and to believe that we will find our salvation in our struggle as we sit at the feet of Jesus. It is here, at His feet, that we rest and He works!

In the dark valley of waiting, the Good Shepherd comes. He is our hope in waiting.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” Psalm 37:7 NLT

Linda Jane Dingeldein: Different by Design

In times of waiting, walking in nature often helps to turn my mind God-ward. The beauty around me, created by the Divine lifts my eyes from my struggle and reminds me that hope that comes from relying on and trusting in God.