Càirn Globél

Sing God a brand-new song!
Earth and everyone in it, sing!
Sing to God—worship God!

Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea,
Take the news of his glory to the lost,
News of his wonders to one and all!

Psalm 96.2-3 (MSG)

Remembering the Valley

Late Spring in the valley is a season of rejuvenation. The transition of longer days and burgeoning warmth entices vegetation and beast to abandon winter slumber. A crescendo of color besprinkles the valley floor, replacing the somberness of grey prairie fields and barren trees. The air awash with the fragrance of budding apple, cherry, and plum blossoms provides the backdrop for a symphony of buzz, trills, chirps, tweets, and calls. Energetic chickadees, wrens, woodpeckers, and warblers announce daylight.

Once covered in drab grey, now filled with white puffs on an azure canvas, the sky provides a vibrant backdrop for the sun as it journeys overhead, its warmth drying the once damp field and the young child and his companion lying lazily in the long stalks of grass gazing skyward. Can you feel the grass crushed against your back or hear the birds? Do you smell the dusty odor of fresh prairie grass or feel the mild breeze?

Close your eyes and recall special moments, and you will sometimes recognize familiar smells and sounds today when trekking or just driving. Yet, have you ever tried to express a moment, a season of life, or an event to another person? Like the factual description, feelings, and emotions associated with the moment, the late Spring in a valley field – not make-believe or a fanciful place but a tangible experience. Remember and hope.

Expressions of Hope

Whether it was a place of beauty and serenity or the alternative, a dark valley filled with tragedy and conflict— finding a proper vocalization to describe our feelings in these experiences sometimes eludes us. Interestingly, isn’t expressing our experiences to others somewhat dependent upon their life experiences? A person’s journey? Their time in the trenches? For instance, can someone intimately understand your profound loss of a loved one, the struggle of a terminal illness, the birth of a child, or watching your child graduate if they lack comparable experiences—trekked a similar path? When someone reaches out, do you hear the birds feel the frustration, the pain, the joy? Do you understand the agony of a child captured in addiction, suffering from an emotional issue, or the infidelity of a spouse and broken trust? How can you? How can they?

Because we understand words through our lens, we only see a glimpse and, in many cases, not clearly. However, here is where Hope arrives because there is one who understands perfectly. Jesus. The one who opened the way to the Father. The one who meets you on your road to Emmaus. How do you explain or describe His influence or the moving of the Spirit? The emotion, the change in your life, His presence in those dark times—His whispers? Mere words cannot express the deeply personal experience—your journey, one similar to others but intimately yours. Close your eyes, do you remember? Where is the quiet place, your late spring valley, where you return to commune with Him? The One with whom you have an intimate relationship. Do you have one?

Hope in the journey

Even though we may only give others a glimpse of what He has done in our lives, they need to hear those experiences. Why? Because they bind us together. These experiences provide Hope and healing. If you doubt, read the Psalms, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, or consider the parables of Jesus. In short, I commend His word to you—Old Testament or New—pick. View the raw expression of humanity’s struggle, joys, tragedies, failures, and triumphs. Filled with relatable experiences, His Word is a tangible expression of others’ sojourn. And how does He express His understanding, His ability to know your struggles? Through His Son. Reach out and touch the hem of His garment. Tell Him because He understands. Where no one else can or will.

Whether it’s a young child looking up at an azure canvas surrounded by emerald forests enjoying a moment of solace, unaware of the eventual toll of life, or your particular journey, our lives have a common thread—Jesus. We can read about him, and people can tell us about him, but that is only a glimpse because we must personally experience that step of faith, the beginning of a journey filled with indescribable moments of peaks and valleys, desert wanderings, and river crossings.
And, yes, a young child and his companion living under the trees.

Tell someone. Above all, show someone Hope.

Copyright © 2023 Càirn Globél. All rights reserved.

“My people were lost sheep.
Their shepherds led them astray.
They abandoned them in the mountains
where they wandered aimless through the hills.
They lost track of home,
couldn’t remember where they came from.
Everyone who met them took advantage of them.
Their enemies had no qualms:
‘Fair game,’ they said. ‘They walked out on God.
They abandoned the True Pasture, the hope of their parents.’

Jeremiah 50.6-7 (MSG)

What does it mean to be lost? Webster’s Dictionary defines lost as “unable to find one’s way; not knowing one’s whereabouts.” Can you remember when you could not find your way, not knowing where you were? That moment when fear began to creep into your head? Ever been there, I have.

In the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Mountains, surrounded by towering Noble firs, it is easy to find yourself –lost. As a youngster, I knew to be alert and attentive to my surroundings. It just made sense. However, as darkness sets in the forest, it is easy to become confused. Even the familiar lose distinction as the light fades. Despite my naïve understanding of the outdoors and my ability to trek the forest floor, I was lost. I was desperately lost, and I didn’t even know it!

I experienced people seeking – emotional, legal, or leadership – direction in varied professional roles throughout my career. Many sought advice and answers for earthly problems. Each desired to know or learn how to extract themselves from their current predicament. They were lost, unable to find their way. Regardless of how safe and secure they felt in their position or possessions, they were just as doubly lost as I was as a child when trekking through the forest floor in the Pacific Northwest.

Why? Because we are all separated from God and unable to find Him on our own. No matter how much we try to rely on our strength, we cannot see the way without light. Unlike being physically lost in the woods or intellectually or experientially lost in our profession, where we may find a way out, we cannot bridge the gap between God and us. But there is hope. He has made a way, a light shining in the darkness. He is calling for us. Can you hear His voice through the trees?

How reassuring to know that God always knows where we are. (John 10:14 GW) That His Spirit is calling us home. (2 Pet. 1:3) The Good Shepherd has left the ninety-nine to find those lost, to return them, and care for us. (John 10:11; Is. 40:11). We may feel secure in our money, homes, things, family, and status, but it is false if it is anything other than Jesus. (Jas. 5:1) He provided the answer. Without the Light, you are unable to find your way. Mercifully, He reaches out and draws you to Himself. (Eph. 2:8–10).

Stand still and listen. Quiet yourself and sense it. Do you hear the voice? He is calling.

Do you know someone who’s lost or has lost their way? Picture them, and commit to praying for them by name. Pray for the opportunity and the words to say when you meet them along your life’s journey. You know the way home, and He is looking for them just as He was looking for you. Tell them. Share your journey from lost to found.

People need to hear your rescue story. How he brought you home to safety, and how he leads you through the dangers and traps of this world. Be the moment when the light shines truth through you and reveals the path out of the darkness. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Good News (Rom. 10:14–15)?

Copyright © 2023 Càirn Globél. All rights reserved.