The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying the in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live? Ezekial 37:1-3
Living in a small town in Canada, in an amazing community surrounded by the Great Lakes, parkland, vineyards and outdoor cafes and dining, nestled along the border of the waterfront. Nature becomes a magnificent mingling of senses. My early morning daily walks are truly a time of awe. I marvel that, oxygen flows from trees, floral scents can heal, groups of fluttering birds fly together helping one another, even if a poor little feathery chap is left behind to catch up while they wait and squirrels scurry up and down trees then bravely stop and stare as if to beg for nuts, within its messages of God’s creation permeated the scene. Nature seems to exist so naturally and gracefully. As I paused to stretch and read today’s reading about the valley of dry bones, I wondered, ‘at this moment how many souls felt their life was like the valley full of bones’.
Change happens to all of us. In an instant life can shift from chaos to calm or a wide array of things. These seasons of change can thrust us into new beginnings. Burdens can weigh heavy on us, like ‘dry bones’ but they can be an invitation, to face and embrace, the messy chalk board and give God the eraser to God for Him to infuse His love and cleanse our hearts.
As our hearts rest in God’s love, through the doubt, fear, problem, health concern, worry, relationship discord, lack of forgiveness, we feed our mind and heart, with life-giving thoughts and beliefs, towards newness. It takes a courageous leap of faith. The dry bones need not define us; they can uplift us. It can be a place to intentionally, listen, heal and respond with love.
There can be beauty in the desire to fix things towards happiness. But we can get stuck on the HOW to fix it, when we dwell on the problem. It can actually make us feel worse. The more we persist on the HOW, like an unfinished puzzle, pieces of joy and hope, can start to fall away and become missing or lost. God has blessed me greatly with the gift of joy and the amazing ability to see God’s goodness in all things, but we can all get caught up in this trap. There is an unease in us when we fail to allow God to speak into all the parts of our life. Personally, like a traffic guard, I raise my hand to stop and refuse negative thoughts, that God doesn’t want for me. Possibly, the more we let go and let God, the more we can become whole. The valley of bones can be a place of adventure into the soul, to heal and flourish. The valley can be a place of trial that becomes triumph.
When I have wholeheartedly prayed, ‘I don’t have all the answers, but you do, God. I offer it all to you.” God’s love did not swoop in like a wild wind, chaotic storm or tumultuous earthquake, as scripture reminds us. It came like a gentle whisper of a dove caressing on branch, Remember WHO you are. The valley is abundant. The vineyard awaits.
Ezekial is standing in the valley filled with scattered and lifeless bones around him. You are there, standing alongside Ezekial and God and we can see a hopeless graveyard. Then God asks a jarring question: ‘Can these bones live?’. Are we striving for what is life-giving in our thoughts and situation? Do we believe that a vineyard is on the horizon, wherever we stand in life? As we stand in the valley of bones, trying to make sense of the brittle and dry parts, our thoughts can steal our love OR it can fill us with supernaturally strong love. I felt God saying, ‘Don’t give up on my children. Be a great light’. Suddenly, God’s grace took center stage deep within me. God can erase the past and unhealthy thoughts and then on the chalkboard, in huge letters He writes LOVE. Life is a school of learning and hopefully yearning to grow in Love. God is love.
It becomes life-giving when we intentionally focus on WHO God is, not on the ‘how’. The ‘how’ becomes unimportant. When we know WHO He is and that He lives inside of us, we can respond with a renewed vigor. When we know God carries us in the palm of his hands, the desire for control vanishes. In God’s justice, LOVE is the only answer. Then when we reach the vineyard that has been tended and sowed with God’s love, how superiorly sweet the wine will be.
If you feel weighted, I hope you give it to God. His wisdom and love are beyond human comprehension. If you are dealing with burnout, lack of faith, worry, loneliness, emptiness, guilt or other burdens, may the valley become a place of refreshment and renewal. If you are in the valley, I hope you are not afraid to still the mind and listen to God. May God restore. If you are standing at the crossroads, may you embrace your new direction with courage. May you be brave, to take a closer look at the places that may have been neglected. I hope honesty and peace rises in you like a tidal wave for you to feed you mind with God’s word. May the vineyard be a place of utter renewal in beauty.
Peace and Blessings,
Claudia
Ournourishedsoul