the Valley

There's a really great song that I've liked for a long time, but now it talks to me in a new way. It goes like this:

The Pathway is broken and the signs are unclear

And I don't know the reason why You brought me here

But just because You love me the way that You do

I'm gonna walk through the valley if You want me to

'Cause I'm not who I was when I took my first step
I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet

So if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will go through the fire if You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When You lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never be alone

So when the whole world turns against me and I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley, if You want me to

I'm in that valley right now, but not so much with a willing heart. Life sucks. I still want God but I'm afraid of him and I am resentful and incredibly lazy and apathetic and have, I guess, crawled into my shell to block all other things out so that I can wallow in self pity. Or something. I feel such an incredible void and I don't like my life right now and I don't like who I am and I am tired and feel so alone. So empty. Even neglected. And all because I've neglected God, of course. Why, how can one not pay for their own sin? I've forgotten how to pray- for myself and for others. And I wonder, does anyone pray for me? I know, that's a rather selfish thought, but I've thought it.

And then there's other songs like "I surrender All"

I'm giving you my heart, and all that is within
I lay it all down, for the sake of You, my King
I'm giving You my dreams, I'm laying down my rights
I'm giving up my pride, for the promise of new life

And I surrender all to You, all to You
And I surrender all to You, all to You

I'm singing You this song, I'm waiting at the cross
And all the world holds dear, I count it all as loss
For the sake of knowing You, and the glory of Your name
To know the lasting joy, even sharing in Your pain

And I surrender all to You, all to You
And I surrender all to You, all to You

and "I will give you rest"

To all who are weary and those who are heavy laiden
Lay at the feet of the one who knows you best
Bring all of your trials and all of your tribulations
Come unto me and I will give you rest I will give you rest,

I will give you rest
I wil give you rest

I take my yoke upon you, come and learn from me
For I am humble in Spirit, and so you must also be
You know I will be with you in the midst of every test
If you call unto me, I will give you rest

I will give you rest,
I will give you rest,
I will give you rest

And I want His rest and peace and I want to surrender, if that means I can have these good things, but I don't want it to be hard and I don't want to feel rejected. 'What ifs' run through my mind- what if God doesn't anwser? Am I holding onto a false hope and do I fear that my life will not change? Will He deny me the things I really want in life- that it seems I've been waiting for forever to have and do and be because I want them more? More than everything else. And what if when I do recieve these things I have really hoped for and looked forward to, that they turn out to be much different in reality? What if I realize I don't want them, because they were better in my imagination? Is that possible? It just feels like I'm stuck in this transition with no purpose, waiting for my life to really begin, waiting to actually serve (like I haven't been!), to finish growing up, to have my own house to live in, to have my own children and be the mother I want to be, to actually do something than simply jump from job to job just to pay bills. Meaningless! I say to myself, and yet the part of me that still holds a hope does hope that at each place I'll be a light of some sort for the Spirit of God to shine and that He and His truth will be revealed.

I am guided too much by emotions. Too many distrations. Too many obligations. Not enough feeding into my own soul- where does my strength come from, and where do I go to be refilled rejuvinated? The Psalms, I know have the answer to that. Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life". Psalm 28 says, "To you I call, O Lord my rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Palce... The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The Lord is the strength of his people..."