Brooks and I have had the privilege of visiting Glacier National Park this summer. The beauty of this park has been paralyzing. The gorgeous mountains, the wildlife, the colors, bright blue sky and even the valleys have all left a lasting impression on my heart & mind of God’s handiwork.

As dramatic and beautiful as the mountain formations are, the valleys render their own version of exquisite testimony that really got me thinking. In my walk through infertility I’ve always considered my seasons of depression and anxiety as valleys. By default, ‘valley’ has gotten such a bad wrap! The bible will even describe our low points in life as valleys. Psalm 23:4 offers hope for when we are in one: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou are with me.

As I walked through the park, I had an opportunity to see a valley from a lot of angles. God showed me that each angle, while they offered different perspectives, showed how beautiful a valley can be.

LOOK at how delightful a valley can be! I see a plethora of positive attributes of a valley. It shows a bold stream of water necessary for life for the lushness of greenery and wildlife. To me, this is a symbol of GOD’S PROVISION. From this angle, it is easy to look around at all of the mountains reminding us of our impending climb out of the valley. But when we divert our attention to what He has provided for today, we can find ENCOURAGEMENT in the little things. When we are in our valleys, we may not see where we are going but we can take it one step at a time all the while enjoying each landing pad our feet hit.

An ANGLE FROM ABOVE, as shown in this picture, lends the big picture of a valley. When we finally climb up the mountainside, out of that valley and are sitting mountaintop we can see where we were and reminisce on the beauty of the journey. You can see the roadmap of sorts of the path that leads you through the valley. This is the big picture.

Each angle renders a unique perspective. We just need to stop and smell the roses taking in the little details.