About-the-song Series, track 6: "Dear Me"

Tamalpais Glory - Marin County, California, a photo by PatrickSmithPhotography on Flickr.

I once heard it said: "life is a series of deaths and resurrections." I like that.
I mentioned this to a friend of mine as we talked about the ups and downs of life (once again, at a coffee shop).
"During our 'Up' seasons, we really should write ourselves a little time capsule or something. Something to remind ourselves when we're in the valleys that it really is going to get better," we decided.
"Dear Me" was born from that short conversation. The song is an open letter, written from oneself during a mountaintop season of life, to oneself during a season when things aren't coming up roses.
Let's face it, "valley" seasons are rough. They're lonely. They're hard for anyone else to understand. They're just plain hard!! I mean, David didn't call it "the valley of the shadow of death" for no reason! During these dark times, it can become harder and harder to remember what it's like to wake up feeling genuinely hopeful. What it feels like to be genuinely at peace with who you are. To feel assured that you're on the right path. These are testing times - sometimes by God's leading, sometimes by our own less-than-awesome decisions...
The beautiful thing about our faith is that, either way - whether we don't know why in the world we're going through this, or maybe we know exactly why - we have a Redeemer who is in the business of taking these seasons and turning them into, what we look back on as some of the most profound, amazing experiences of our lives. During the valleys, we grow; we get stronger; we learn. We become better versions of ourselves in ways we never would have dreamed possible!
And then, maybe just when we've conditioned ourselves not to expect the sun to shine again, and we've learned to be content and grateful, whether we ever see another spring day...
....Here it comes...just over the mountain: the sunrise. And you begin to feel it's warmth on your face. The clouds fade away to blue; the flowers begin to bloom. A new spring has sprung, and it's better than ever before. New life has been created all around you, and best of all, in you.