Going Through the Valley (A Tribute to my late father in law Reverend C. Ray Justice)

2011-12-21T01:21:00.000-05:00

My late father in law Rev. C. Ray Justice told some of the most compelling stories when he preached. He was a great storyteller and he used experiences from his childhood growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, "The Old Homeplace" as it was called sat up on top of a mountain in a community called "Spring Creek". His parents raised seven children and Ray was the second youngest, the family farmed for a living and they worked long days just to have the basics. It sounds like a hard life but if Ray were alive today he would tell you that those were some of the best days of his life, you see the community was a family and everyone looked out for each other I could hear Ray say, "you don't need much if you got each other" and that's all they had at times. My favorite story was the one that helped lead me to Christ, a story he told titled "Going through the Valley" in this story Ray tells of a sick uncle that lived behind them just about a mile through hills and a valley each night Mrs. Justice and the girls would fix food and one of the 5 boys would take turns delivering the food to the uncle. On the night it was Ray's turn he had forgotten and when his mom reminded him he was at risk of traveling in the dark. In a effort to get there before sundown he grabbed the bag of food and headed up the hill just behind his house and through the thickly wooded valley just below. He got to the bottom of the hill and started his journey through the valley when the little sunlight he had left disappeared. He said, "I remember trying not to panic as I had taken this trip many times before, I would just walk slower and try to feel my way through". He'd gone a little ways (maybe 1/4 of a mile) when he began to hear noises like footsteps and rustling of leaves "I tried not to let my imagination run wild at first so I stayed focused and kept moving then when I heard that branch snap I got scared and began to run. I just knew there was some kind of animal behind me that smelled that food and he was coming for a meal I ran as fast as I could but the faster I ran the closer the rustling and footsteps seemed if I stopped it was like they were right behind me! Then I tripped on a stone and fell, the food spilled from the bag and I had hurt my knee, instead of getting up and making a run for it I laid there thinking if I play dead maybe this bear or mountain lion will eat the food and not me. By this time my heart was beating out of my chest and I was shaking, so much for being still I thought, and then just when I felt I was about to be eaten I heard a voice call out my name, "Ray, son are you there? Is that you?" It was my dad when he had heard that I tried to make it alone in the dark he came after me, "I am here dad, over here," "hold tight son and keep talking so I can follow your voice", I did and within a couple of minutes he was there and I went from being scared to death to feeling completely safe in my father's presence, we left the food that night and headed back to the house mom fixed some more and the older boys took a lantern with them and delivered the food to my uncle." Our heavenly father is a comfort in the valley, when its dark and we are scared he calls us by name and provides that comfort and love only a father can provide. Where are you today? Are you in the valley? Has the sun gone down on you quickly and now your surrounded by darkness? Dueteronomy 31:6 says, that He will never leave us or forsake us", Psalm 23:4 says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me." You don't have to feel alone, you don't have to feel helpless, trust in Christ today, right now after reading this, Revelation 3:20 says, "I stand at the door and knock He who let's me in I will come in and dine with him." Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart are you going to let Him in?

PVBCMM (men's ministry)

Going Through the Valley (A Tribute to my late father in law Reverend C. Ray Justice)