Where The Fruit Grows

There's an old Billy Graham quote that I love during weeks like this. I'm not going to get it perfectly, but it's something like: "The mountain tops are for vistas, but the fruit grows in the valleys." That is a perfect descriptor of this past week.

Monday started with such promise. I got some rest after a long night of ministry, staying up with the family of a man in our church whose aorta had ruptured. The surgery got him stabilized and into a cardiac ICU room, so there was hope. I was still praying for him when I went to the office and had a great phone call from one of my dear friends and mentors. It was just the word of encouragement that I needed in that moment. Mountain top!

Then, word came that our patient took a turn for the worse. People were scrambling to help, and things were seemingly under control. Yeah, I just wrote that sentence, and now reading it again makes me chuckle. Things are never 'under control' from our human standpoint.

Had a great BBQ with some friends, then an early night that night. Much to do the next couple days. But as Tuesday rolled into Wednesday, there was more bad news for our heart patient, then a call about another funeral, and then another. The week ended with three funerals in three days, including our heart patient tomorrow (Sat.). From a great, mountain top vista on Monday to three days of helping people grieve their losses.

Add to that this morning the phone call from Beth's mom. Her parents are in Las Vegas for vacation with some friends, and her dad had a seizure. He went to the emergency room where he had another. He's been admitted to the hospital and seems to be stable right now, but this has added a level of complexity and distraction to the already full plate. Feels like a valley.

So I'm here, feeling worn out, feeling the weight of the struggle, feeling for my wife who is feeling torn between waiting for word and running down to Vegas for her folks. This is where I need Jesus the most, and this is where He promises to grow us. Romans 8:28 comes to mind: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I'm waiting to see how God works this week for good. It feels like good is a long way from here, on top of a mountain somewhere else. But God is in this valley, too. And there is fruit in the future right here. That's what I am hanging on to at this moment. The promise of fruit.