Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Wildflowers in the Valley

Valleys. A valley is a low area between hills, often with a river running through it. It is a depression that is longer than it is wide (definition found on google).


My past three years in Korea have been valleys. Valleys of learning what it means to depend on God through the hard.  To be in the low.  To walk down a long road that felt like it would never end. To think I was finally going to climb to the mountaintops, but only to slide down again with another hurt or struggle. The struggle was real. It was hard. No sugar coating. It was plain hard. 

These years of valleys are coming to end. In exactly a week from today I will be shaking the dust off my feet as I fly to back to states for a short trip of refreshment, seeing family and repacking for the next adventure that God is leading me down.  The past few days have been filled with so many good-byes, packed boxes and reflection. 

A beautiful pictured that God placed on my heart a little over month ago as I was processing my time here in Korea and asking God “why? why did He have me come here? why did He have me go through all this? what was the purpose of it all? In those moments of questioning, God in His  sweet tender way  gave me a beautiful picture that has brought so much truth to my heart: this season has been valley filled with wildflowers… wildflowers of joys, encouragement and support. God didn’t leave me in the valley alone. He didn’t bring me out of the valley right away. But He did provide wildflowers along the way that I could not have ever imagined… 

Wildflowers. A wildflower is a flower of an uncultivated variety or a flower growing freely without human intervention (definition found on google.) 


God planted beautiful wildflowers in these years of living in the valley. Ones that I could not have created myself. They were truly a gift from Him and kept me looking into His face for grace, strength and wisdom. Joy. He faithfully placed wildflowers of joy to keep my eyes on Him. To remember how faithful, loving caring and forgiving He is…

A few Wildflowers that are dear to my heart are: 
-The Houser family #familyawayfromfamily
-Coaching soccer (never did I think I would have love it as much as I did!!!) 
-Opportunities of mentoring 
-My student’s personalities
-Sweet Lucy
-Bubble Tea
-Dongbu 106
-My people (you know who you are) 
-If:table/if:gathering
-Fun days of exploring Seoul
-Spring Break trips to Taiwan, Jeju, and Japan
-Good friends
-Running in races
-Sweet moments in my favorite coffee shops 
-Beautiful rice paddies 
-Learning to lead without a title
-My prayer warriors 
-Seasoning my words with grace
-Fruits of the Spirit
-Hiking in the beauty of Korea
-Walks alone in my favorite season in Korea, autumn
-Embracing times of being alone
-Growing deeper in my faith

Looking back there are many little wildflowers sprinkle along the way… too many to write them all down, but my heart is overflowing with thankfulness as I sit here and reflect. I am not the same twenty-one year old lady who moved with excitement of dream coming true of teaching and living overseas. I have been changed from the inside and out and leaving as twenty-five year old lady who has embraced the call of “spirit lead me where my trust is without borders wherever you have called me (a verse from Oceans by Hillsong). I may be a little bang-up and bruised from these valleys, but God is healing me and making all things beautiful. He is faithful and I am faithfully following the calling He has placed on my life to speak words in truth with grace… of course. I am so excited for the mountaintop that Jesus has been leading me to… a DTS in New Zealand. I am praying with anticipation and expectation that it will be a deep time of healing and breaking free to be completely the woman that God has created me for. I am going with arms wide open ready to embrace and abide in my Savior. More thoughts on this next adventure in a blog post coming soon!  

God used this little girl to impact my life... she will always have a little piece of me! 

Thank you to those of you who have stood with me in this season of clinging to God’s faithfulness. Thank you for your prayers, your encouragement, your support, your love and your wisdom. May you be so blessed for the blessing you have been to me! 

Love, Daniella 


P.S One of my prayer warriors sent me this song a few weeks ago. It is a beautiful reminder of how faithful God is until the end. He carries us through. This song so much sums up my season of valleys. He has been so faithful to end… Check out this song Faithful Till the End by Bethel Music:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tw8tYFh1JY&app=desktop

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