Originally posted 7/22/25
The past few months have found me on the mountaintop and in the valley. Each position came with its own blessings.
March 30 changed our lives forever as we welcomed our first grandchild. Our son and daughter-in-law had a rough journey on the way to becoming parents. It involved praying and trusting God in ways we had not done before. We have found such joy in our little grandson. Being a grandparent is a mountaintop experience for which we are so very grateful. We have found many blessings watching our son and daughter-in-law embrace parenthood.
As God was blessing us with our mountaintop experience, we had to come down to the valley. My mother-in-law’s cancer treatments were no longer working. The next few months were a roller coaster. We laid her to rest a few days ago. As I look back at the last few months, the Lord has really blessed and sustained our family.
Even though my mother-in-law’s health deteriorated, she was able to come to our house for dinner about a month ago. Our daughter was home from Texas and was able to spend some quality time with her grandma. The highlight of the evening was when my mother-in-law was able to meet her newest great grandchild. It was something she talked about often. She wanted to meet the new baby and perhaps was a little jealous because my father-in-law had already met him. God used our mountaintop to sustain us through the valley.
Things got a little rough in the end, however, God continued to sustain us. As I pray each morning, I begin by focusing on a passage. I select the passages a month in advance so I am always amazed when the passages match my life journey. God brought passages to me at the right time as I needed them. I will always be grateful.
It should surprise no one that Nahum 1:7 was the passage the day my mother-in-law was called home. “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” Nahum 1:7. That day was certainly a day of trouble. I didn’t know what I would need that day, but the Lord did. I didn’t know that she would be already gone when I went to give her the morning dose of pain medication, but the Lord did.
The days leading up to her death and the days following included other Scriptures that were very comforting:
- Psalm 18:30, “This God–his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”
- Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”
- Isaiah 41:10, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
- Isaiah 40:31, “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
- 1 Corinthians 6:11, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
- Ezekiel 36:26, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
- Ephesians 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,”
- Acts 10:43, “To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
- Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”
- Psalm 18:30, “This God–his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”
- Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
The days following her death, many of the adult grandchildren gathered together. For days my house was full of family, The outpouring of love and food still amazes me. The Lord provided just what we needed exactly when we needed it. We shared memories and went through pictures. It was such a sweet time to hear the way Grandma had impacted each life. The kids had such precious memories.
What can we learn from this experience? The God of the mountaintop is the same God of the valley. The Lord uses all of our experiences to weave together our lives. Sometimes, we are so busy or just fail to see how God is working in our lives. We saw every day how God was working in our lives. He did not ever leave us on our own. I don’t know what we would have done without the Lord.