How will we make it through this? The valleys we walk may bear different names, but at the beginning of the trailhead we all have a choice to make.
I once chose with clenched fists, fueled by grief, driven by fear… maybe you have been there too. But hear me now, not from the mountaintop, but from the shadowed lowlands, where echoes of pain still linger—choose the better way.
To those who call Jesus Lord: we proclaim a Kingdom not built by hands, not tied to decades past or decades to come. No power of earth can shake what is secure in Him. This is not a call to passivity— but perhaps an invitation: learn the stillness of the soul.
Not silence for silence’s sake, but a reorienting, a returning to the Way that is higher, slower, deeper. God has been faithful—not because all is mended, not because we have been spared, but because He never left.
Each day aches like fire, and still, Jesus is good.
Each prayer rises desperate, and still, Jesus is near.
His nearness is not held hostage to the outcomes I crave. Call me foolish, if you must. I am learning to care less for opinions, and more for people, because Jesus is shaping my heart for a Kingdom not made of noise.
God’s goodness is not measured by the speed of escape from sorrow. Whether I have months or years this I know:
Jesus is here. He is good. And gently He whispers: “Be still, and know that I am God.
So in your valley will you stop, just for a moment? Turn from the scroll, the post, the panic, and let your soul lean toward Him. Even here, where fear stirs, where anger brews, there is joy. Because love remains, and He is near.
Even now, I can say with trembling lips: It is well with my soul. He is God. And He is good.
Choosing Hope 
Hannah, this is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing your deep faith through your journey. This gives me courage to walk my journey. Because, like you said, He is near and He is good. God bless you.
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I will read this to our handicapped daughter…sharp brain but body racked with pain most days. We are in constant discussion of God’s goodness and nearness….she is there. Past understanding. Just trusting. Stillness is hard tho.
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Praying for you little sister. At my age your months or years comment touched me. However long we have in this world, we are all pilgrims looking for our eternal home those of us who believe in Jesus.
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Hannah, this is so powerful and encouraging, especially to those who may not yet understand, or who may still be walking through the panic-stricken, rocky entrance to the valley of trials, and are looking for a hand-hold or a foothold in this terrible place. May the Lord use your testimony to bring comfort and support to His other sheep who are in need of this strong encouragement. There are many.
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