August 25, 2018
I already posted about my run and how I’m so thankful I can stay active, but I didn’t really share what was on my heart during my beautiful early morning run today.
I only listen to music while running if it’s light out; I just don’t feel safe doing so in the dark. It seems like 80% of my runs are in the dark, early mornings, so it’s rare that I listen to music. When I do, my playlist is a mix of things, probably 70% Christian music.
Today, one of the first songs that came on was a favorite of mine…my all-time favorite this time last year. Tauren Well’s Hills and Valleys . If you’ve never heard it, I suggest you take a quick listen (and if you’ve never heard this acoustic version, it’s worth your time too)! Love this song.
But I realized while running this morning…as different words spoke to me…or maybe I should say as God opened my ears to different parts of the song and struck a cord in my heart differently from all the other times I listened to it, it took on a whole new meaning.
I’m not one to really replay songs while I run, I just let the random list play…but I must have listened to this song over and over for at least 2/3 of my run this morning.
Here are the lyrics and I’ve highlighted the words that kept jumping out at me, replaying in head, as if God was saying…let this sink in.
I’ve walked among the shadows
You wiped my tears away
And I’ve felt the pain of heartbreak
And I’ve seen the brighter days
And I’ve prayed prayers to heaven from my lowestplace
And I have held the blessings
God, you give and take away
No matter what I have, Your grace is enough
No matter where I am, I’m standing in Your love
On the mountains, I will bow my life
To the one who set me there
In the valley, I will lift my eyes to the one who sees me there
When I’m standing on the mountain aft, didn’t get there on my own
When I’m walking through the valley end, no I am not alone!
You’re God of the hills and valleys!
Hills and Valleys!
God of the hills and valleys
And I am not alone!
I’ve watched my dreams get broken
In you I hope again!
No matter what I know
Know I’m safe inside Your hand
(Chorus)
Father, you give and take away
Every joy and every pain
Through it all you will remain
Over it all!
Father, you give and take away
Every joy and every pain
Through it all you will remain
Over it all!
On the mountains, I will bow my life
To the one who set me there (to the one who set me there)
In the valley, I will lift my eyes to the one who sees me there
When I’m standing on the mountain aft, didn’t get there on my own
When I’m walking through the valley end, no I am not alone!
You’re God of the hills and valleys!
Hills and Valleys!
God of the hills and valleys
And I am not alone!
You’re God of the hills and valleys!
Hills and Valleys!
God of the hills and valleys
And I am not alone!
And I will choose to say “Blessed be Your name, yeah, yeah”
And I am not alone
Maybe this means nothing to you and that’s ok, God was speaking to my heart, not yours. But I hope you enjoyed the song!
I’m thankful anytime God speaks to my heart. I also feel a nudging to re-read Soul Care, which I’d highly recommend. (Link if interested.)
I’ve read it and ‘worked through junk in my soul’ once or twice before, but it’s funny how ‘new junk’ seems to acquire. (Just like all the junk I’ve been hoeing out of my house!) We all have our own junk, I guess it’s just a matter of how we deal with it. Some of my junk is really weighing me down and I know I’m not the light that God wants me to be when I’m being weighed down by ‘stuff.’
Ok I’ve shared a good song and a great book, food for thought, now I really do have to continue on with laundry and all that fun stuff! 😎 ✌
Runner With A Hunger 