As an avid hiker, the mountaintops are where my heart longs to go. I have a print hanging on my gallery wall that reads "the view is always worth the climb" and those words speak so much truth to my heart. The climbs in my life, the rough terrain, and the switchbacks? They're tough and many of them leave me out of breath. But the views at the end? Totally worth every step and bead of sweat.
It's when we climb and reach those mountaintops that we see the beauty in the valleys, too. We get to see the city below us or the fields of grass and wildlife in front of us. And before we celebrate just the mountaintop, we have to take time to appreciate the beauty in the valleys as well. We wouldn't get to the mountaintop without the valleys in life, without the low points where we feel like nothing is happening. Where we feel like God's not working. Or when we feel like we're just stuck in the darkness where yesterday, today, and tomorrow all seem to meld together. Those valleys in life may seem like dark pit, but when we look back and when we look down, our eyes open and discover the sweetness hidden there. The sweetness that makes the climb even more worth it.
The valleys are where I've found Jesus. In the darkness, in the heartbreak, in the loneliness, in the questions and doubts, I look up and see the Light. I regain hope, determination, and the strength to keep going. The valleys are not easy, the climb is not short, but in the end? It's worth it.
And that's why I'll always have a soft spot for the way the valleys and mountaintops in my life have strengthened me and helped me become the girl I am today. Those seasons have been hard but they've shaped me, strengthened me, and challenged me to see the beauty in the here and now, too.
And this new print is now a daily reminder of just that.
When Photowall reached out to do a collaborative post with me, I was instantly intrigued. You all know how much I love a good gallery wall and artwork on my walls, right? Well, they have a huge selection of framed art prints, canvases, and wallpaper that you can use to decorate your walls, too. They generously offered a discount code for you all as well--use the code initstimeblog25 for 25% off any Photowall product (from now until September 20, 2020!).
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