Valentines in the Valley, Again
Living Broken Again BLOG By Susan Vaughan Shumake
2/14/2022
*****
My dearest, Valentines in the Valley,
I come to you again, out of a place of Brokenness. Here I am again, in the Valley. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
For Thou art with me. For THOU art with me.
We enter our Valleys usually unknowingly, unsuspecting that they are indeed Valleys at all. We enter unknowingly, Broken. It is the only way into the Valley. Un-seemingly, unwillingly. Broken.
We become the Brokenness we bear. We become the Sorrow of our sufferings. We become the Longing of our loneliness. In the Valley. Surrounded by the mountains of our circumstance, separating us from the rest, we become the Brokenness, and we stay there. And yet, “Thou art with me.”
There are those unspoken Angels sent to us to help us, to walk us through the pain of Brokenness, whatever that may be. Nurses who are healing. Children who are hearing. Teachers who are calling. Soldiers who are serving.
The pain of a Broken Heart. The pain of a Broken Bone. The pain of a Broken Spirit. The pain of a Broken Life. We live in the Valley. We live Broken. And yet, “Thou art with me.”
Unspoken Angels. Soothing our Suffering. Healing our Hopelessness. Lifting our Loneliness. Breathing LIFE into our Brokenness.
Washed as a Whisper. Clothed into Courage. Asked as an Answer.
*****
Valentines in the Valleys
2/14/2022
by Susan Vaughan Shumake
There is never the promise of life’s Sweet Bouquet
of romantic roses on Valentine’s Day.
Nor is there the perfect sweetheart for all time
when people are real and love is not blind!
Victoria’s Secret is secret for sure!
Cuz its’ modeled by teenagers who haven’t matured.
And the image it brings is all Miracle Bra
which creates Perfection from nothing at all.
Romanticized Romance of what LOVE should be
makes it hard to feel loved when you’re in the Valley.
Broken Hearts or lost loved ones leave many alone
with memories to hold onto, and hurts of their own.
What of the losses that Breast Cancer brings,
Mastectomy Scars, and Hair Loss and things?
Recovering Self-Image when these things are gone
forces us to look deeper to find love and go on.
A Spouse who stands by you through illness and grief,
bringing love and acceptance, though they get no relief.
Or the family member who travels miles for support,
to be there for surgeries or hear the Doctor’s report.
The friend who sits by you when it’s Treatment Day
or makes you a blanket to show you they’ve prayed.
The call or the visit when times get too tough,
to sit and bring laughter, the deep belly stuff!
It’s these gifts of love that we see all year long.
The love that remains when the friend is now gone.
God’s Love Gifts to us, to bring Hope to our Hearts.
Valentines in the Valleys is where True Love starts.
Loving thanks to all of you, my Valentines in the valleys. Again.
I LOVE YOU!
Sincerely,
Susan
