by @RamonaRichards

So . . . it’s Thanksgiving . . . with all those expectations of joy and family and love. And many folks will experience just that—a time of celebration and hope.

But not everyone.

So . . . our 2020 delayed conference ended last week on a high note for most. Proposals were requested, guidance given, lessons learned. Most of us left itching to write, to start turning those dreams of new projects into reality.

But not everyone.

It’s an old adage, but we often hear it a lot this time of year: For the mountains to exist, there must also be valleys. And some valleys are deeper, darker, and more lasting than others. Sometimes it takes a lot to climb out of the valleys, to reach for the bright lights on the mountaintops. Occasionally, it will feel impossible, as if the valley is a permanent location for your mind, body, and soul.

Believe me, I’ve been there—desperate and alone. Last week, I celebrated with a cheering group of friends when I was awarded two Selahs, and it felt like the pinnacle of my career. This particular mountaintop was made even more joyous because some of the friends in that crowd were with me when I found myself begging God to end my pain in whatever way He saw fit. They have walked through the darkest of valleys with me.

And for that I was—and AM—grateful.

Some of them are walking through a valley this week, and I hope they know they are in my most heartfelt prayers. Some of you are walking through a valley—and have been for much of 2020.

At times like these, gratitude can be hard to come by. But if we are going to praise God from the mountaintops, we must also cling to Him and His provision when we were at our most dire point of hopelessness.

It ain’t easy. But it IS necessary.

God never promised our lives would be easy and free of pain. He DID promise to walk through it with us, to never leave us, and to find ways to offer us hope. That’s the promise I clung to when I was afraid—of losing my home, my daughter, my friends; of failing; of being less than He expects. That’s the promise that sent me to my knees in surrender when I was clinging to that last knot in my rope.

And that’s the promise He’s never broken. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all. Hug who you can as much as you can for as long as you can. And continue to love on God in every way possible.

Ramona Richards is an author, editor, and speaker who’s unplugging for the weekend and embracing gratitude as much as possible.

Greetings from the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Team. We wish you a wonderful time, surrounded by those you love as you celebrate the blessings in your life!