The Valley of Vision

Lord, high and holy

meek and lowly,

Thou has brought me

to the valley of vision

where I live in the depths

but see thee in the heights

hemmed in by mountains of sin

I behold thy glory

Let me learn by paradox

that the way down

is the way up

that to be low

is to be high

that the broken heart

is the healed heart

that the contrite spirit

is the rejoicing spirit

that the repenting soul

is the victorious soul

that to have nothing

is to possess all

that to bear the cross

is to wear the crown

that to give

is to receive

that the valley

is the place of vision

Lord, in the daytime

stars can be seen from deepest wells

and the deeper the wells

the brighter thy stars shine.

Let me find thy light in my darkness

thy life in my death

thy joy in my sorrow

thy grace in my sin

thy riches in my poverty

thy glory in my valley

Every time I read this I am amazed. Isn't this how life should be? Rejoice when things are great. Rejoice when things suck. Rejoice. Always. Jesus Christ is more than enough. He should be our everything. He should be so much of our everything that when things are good, we are filled; when things are bad, we are filled. When things aren't really great, but aren't terrible either...we are filled. He is more than enough. It's hard being in this country trying to explain Jesus Christ to someone who doesn't speak your language and has never even heard of anything as crazy as someone healing the lame and raising the dead. Let alone the fact that EVERYTHING is backwards in the eyes of this world. The way up is really down. To be low, really means you're high. To have a broken heart is to have a healed heart. A sad spirit is the rejoicing spirit. The repenting soul is the victorious soul. To have nothing is to have everything. To bear the CROSS is to wear the CROWN. To give is to receive. And the deepest valley is the place of vision.

Praise God for that. Praise Him. He has brought me to the valley and I see things clear. The deeper He takes me, the more clearly I see. By the world's standard that seems so stupid. But through the eyes of The Creator, there's nothing that makes more sense. Hallelujah.

"I cannot offer to my God that which has cost me nothing."

Since when has following Christ cost you something? Gary Fujino (a career missionary here that we work with and AMAZING man of Christ we all look up to) asked us last Monday to count the cost. What has this summer cost us? What was it that we sacrificed to come here? For some it was a car to pay for the trip. For others it was a summer away from friends and family they are so incredibly close to. For me...it cost me my life, my comfort zone, a friendship. Sure, I could have stayed home, worked with the youth, worked things out with some friends, and spent the summer under the stars with the man I love.

But God had something bigger. Something better. At first I didn't want to. Reluctantly, I agreed on faith to step out into the unknown. Sure, I had been to Japan before, but it was still completely different. As Father stripped me of my comfort zone He brought me down to the valley. Friendless and alone I stood in the dark and waited. He is ever faithful. He will never leave you. He has stripped me of all that hindered my sight and brought me to the valley. And there in the valley the stars shine so brightly. Brighter than ever before.

Praise God for the valley.