In the Low Places

My dad is a pilot. He used to fly a Cirrus SR22 and would fly at an altitude between 6,000 and 8,000 feet- which, in my opinion, is optimum cloud viewing territory. 

One of the most awe-inspiring things I ever witnessed was a single rain cloud pouring rain over a (seemingly) small area of land while all around it there was sunshine.

I know what I would see if I were on the ground underneath that raincloud. My surroundings would be gray and dark while rain poured and accumulated in ditches and potholes- in the low places. 

I wouldn’t see the surrounding light.

While I was painting this picture, I imagined rain pouring from this cloud and water flowing between these mountains, and I realized something- water gathers in the valley. 

There is a reason why we plant gardens in lower places that hold water well. 

Water is seen in many cultures and religions as a life force. From Christianity to Indigenous traditions, water is viewed as a symbol of birth, transition, purification, renewal, and the ongoing flow of life itself.

While thinking about this post, I also realized that water is the only element on Earth that exists in three states of matter as a solid, liquid, or vapor. I’m sure you could see an interesting parallel with the Christian Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

Water is transformative in its very nature. It teaches us that growth is not about leaving ourselves behind, but about allowing ourselves to change form.

While we are in the valley, in the solid places where uncertainty, grief, and fear seem to pool up and keep us frozen, we tend to look up to the mountains and wonder: ‘Why am I not there?’ ‘Why is this happening?’ ‘What went wrong?’ 

We label these valleys as failure or delay, and we want to leave as fast as we possibly can.

We forget that these are the places that hold what is most vital for our growth. Where our roots can dig down into the soil and be nourished. The lower the valley, the deeper the roots. 

We aren’t nourished at the top of a mountain; we are nourished in the valley- in the low places where water gathers.