I've been thinking about transitions. School is starting in most areas. I remember the first time I didn't go back to school in the fall. I walked around feeling lost, like there was something I was supposed to be doing but I couldn't remember what it was. In my family this is a time of transition, as well. My mother is working on transitioning from life to life eternal, and fighting it all the way. My niece just started her first day of college, my son Micah just started his last year of college, Nathan just got engaged. 

Even the happiest of transitions can feel like walking through the deepest, darkest valley: you don't know what will be at the end of it, you aren't sure how to navigate your way through it, and sometimes you feel really alone. The Psalmist tells us that when we walk through that deep, dark valley God is with us. Not just at the beginning pushing us into it, not just at the end telling us we can do it, but with us, leading and guiding us, supporting us as we are on the journey.

God of our valleys and our mountain tops, we give thanks today for your presence with us in all the ups and downs of life. We thank you that you walk with us, and when we are too weary you lift us up and carry us. We need your presence, your courage, your uplifting, especially when we are unsure of where to go or how to get there. Reassure us every day of your love for us and fill us up so we can share that love with others...