The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
-Psalm 23:1
This verse is so well known and such a beautiful promise. I have found great comfort in these words over the years, but in seasons when my heart was breaking, it felt harder to believe. It felt hard to read “I shall not be in want” when my soul felt left in the dust, longing so much for a different outcome to the story I was walking through.
Sometimes loss and sorrow come crashing into your normal from out of nowhere, and sometimes the “valley” seems like it is just where you will always live, but I can honestly say that I have known God’s comfort and restoration even in the midst of some of my darkest moments and deepest valleys.
I’m not saying God changed my circumstances every time like I hoped He would, but He did meet me in the middle of the broken places and breathed hope and light and love.
If that’s where you are today, in a dark valley, know that you are not alone. My prayer is that you’ll experience His comfort and rest, His presence and peace, even in places of deep grief and loss.
