An Easter Post: The Valley of NO’s

What’s not to love about Easter? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t giddy about the festive traditions we’ll live out this weekend: the fancy outfits, outdoor church service, extravagant brunch, Easter egg hunt, and new bedazzled baskets I recently purchased for Emerson and her coming sister.

All that stuff’s GOOD; so good! But clearly, it’s not the point. It’s simply our way of celebrating the biggest day in all of the Christian faith—the day it all really comes down to, and the loving man, Jesus Himself.

In pondering Easter’s point in these past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about two big words: yes and no. And the role that each of them plays in all of our lives, forming the peaks and valleys that chart the course of our days.

Last week, I shared a post about a horrific medical scare we had with my sweet little daughter. And on that day, God said YES to my cries for help and for healing. He said YES, I will guide the doctor’s hands. YES, I will revive Emerson’s breathing. YES, I will preserve her young life.

But, what happens when God says NO? What about the parents whose daily routine involves trips to the children’s hospital to watch their babies fight death and disease? What about the orphans who have no parents? What about the widows who have no husbands? What about the mom from my MOPS session who just lost her baby to SIDS? My friend’s husband who lost his job? Loved ones who’ve lost their minds? This is a whole lot of NO. What about all of these NO’s?!

I’ve talked about my own incredible mom more than once here on my blog—her wisdom, spirituality and all-around greatness. As a mother of four, married almost 35 years, she has encountered almost every variation of “yes” and “no” you could possibly fathom. I learn so much from her advice through the hard and the good turns of life. One other thing about my mom is her status as Certifiable Prayer Warrior. She literally has a hotline to heaven, like she’s definitely the one you want on her knees for you when the going gets tough. But as my mom knows all too well, the Lord does not always say YES. And, beautifully, this does not shake her faith.

Recently, amid facing some hard NO’s in her own life, my mom sent me this incredible poem (below). She felt God dictate the words to her, and you just know that He did as you read them. Her inspired verses drive home the most significant fact: that Jesus endured the pain of NO’s, too.

See, to get to the beauty, the redemption, the glory, the ultimate sunrise—first, God had to say no. No to His very own Son, no as His own heart was breaking, the biggest “no” the world’s ever heard. Good Friday was the gut-wrenching NO—and Easter, the stunning fulfillment.

Is God saying NO to you now about something big, or maybe even something small? Is it frustrating you? Breaking you? Numbing you? Read this poem, my friend. I promise you won’t regret it. Let the power of Easter wash over you. Your valley of NO might be leading you on to great YES’s you can’t even picture.

I can’t wait to wear a pretty dress, overstuff everyone’s Easter baskets and eat all the great food I can handle. But I also can’t wait to bow my head and, with reverence, remember the point.

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The Valley of NO’s

by Rhonda Beylik

How do I walk through the valley of NO’s
When all I hope for’s denied?
How do I keep my eyes on the crown
When countless tears I’ve cried?

You say all is possible if you only believe;
You promise that victory is sure.
Yet each day that passes things only get worse
Testing my strength to endure.

How do I walk through this valley of NO’s?
There’s NO healing, NO deliverance, NO cure.
NO provision, NO answer, NO miracle from God
Just denial of all I was sure.

How do I walk through this valley of NO’s
When all seems to counter your Love?
When peace is despair, when joy is loss,
There’s no comfort from God above.

I go to my Savior’s great valley of NO’s
The Cross where you suffered and bled.
I cling to that place where great anguish and loss
And the sins of the world crushed your head.

NO to your victory, NO to your reign.
All you faced was suffering and pain.
Yet for the joy set before you, you endured the cross—
The lies, the torment and shame.

To the point of such sorrow you sweat drops of blood
As you cried out to God in vain.
No words of entitlement came from your lips
No fierce accusations and blame.

You said, Lord forgive them; You said, It is done.
Forsaken, You breathed your last breath.
But then with great glory, God finished His work
Bringing ultimate life from death.

Through the Valley of NO’s, through your season of loss
You were working your greatest plan.
You were redeeming mankind to Yourself
Offering grace and salvation to man.

In the Valley of NO’s, the great work is done.
Our hearts are set free; true victory, won!

Now my heart sings, I surrender my woes
My sorrow and grief in the valley of NO’s.

For you’ve gone before me and showed me the way
And because of your love I assuredly say

It is well in the valley of NO’s.