Hope in the Valley of Achor
by Jan Powell
“There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt”
When I think of places to refill my hope, I imagine peaceful vacation spots like a retreat in the mountains or a condo at the beach. Not a valley of trouble. For that’s what Achor means—trouble.
I’m reminded as a writer that God’s ways are so different than mine. In the last decade I’ve experienced troubling times with health problems and unexpected deaths of precious friends and family members. Valleys of Achor.
These blows leveled me. I viewed the world from a pit not a mountaintop. God’s often faint voice fell silent. Every writing project I thought of dried up and blew away in the heat of my desolation.
Was God done with me? I picked at Bible passages like a finicky eater picks at food. Nothing appealed. Nothing satisfied. My torment brought regrets, lost sleep, and no restoration.
When we are stuck in our Valleys of Achor, how can we proceed to fulfill our calling as writers?
I chose to prepare and pray. Walked and biked to work my way out of my funk. Did mundane household tasks. I imagined words jumping onto the page from my fingers. I took care of work and family responsibilities.
And I stole a few minutes here and there to scribble or type my ideas. I rose early to write. A poem. A reworded verse. A snippet of dialogue. Ideas could be recorded on a phone app.
I also clung to my Bible. I marked promises and lifted them to the Lord.
If he brought us out of our Egypt, we can believe that he will restore us with the youthful energy we had in the beginning.
When we face our valleys of trouble as writers and Christians, the saved and unsaved watch us navigate our challenges. We can crumple to the ground, send out invitations to our pity parties, or review our history of deliverance and blessing. With God’s grace we rise again.
He wants us to see trouble as a door of hope. His promises restore our vineyards. We search his word for inspiration, and he transforms our bitter roots to messages of encouragement. Losses will come, but God will be faithful. With him, we can move through our Valley of Achor and find our words waiting for us on the other side.
Father who walks with me forever, and blesses me even in times of trouble, keep my feet moving through my valley that you will transform to hope. Amen.
Jan Powell, a graduate of the University of South Florida, helps writers through Writing with You, offering editing, rewriting, and coaching for fiction and non-fiction. Published in The Wordsmith Journal and Splickety, she has written for Inkspirations since the beginning. Her in-depth editing includes poetry, devotionals, memoirs, fantasy, murder mysteries, thrillers, romantic suspense, and flash fiction. She has hosted Tampa Word Weavers for almost two decades and has served in its leadership.
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5 Comments
Thank you for this encouragement, Jan. I love your writing AND your editing helps. Would love to catch up in person soon.
Jan, thanks for your Inkspiration as I struggle my way out of the Valley of Achor, wanting to beat everything with the cane I’ve used for six months. I’m able to control my negative feelings most days because of my faith and relationship with God and look forward to the words and youthful energy on the other side.
Powerful message, beautifully written. Thank you, Jan.
Powerful message. Beautifully written. Thank you, Jan.
Jan, that was heart-felt writing. Thank you for your transparency and sharing how hard life can be sometimes; and still, we can overcome. With the help of our God. Thank you for your writing and the help & hope you give to other writers like me.