in the depth of the valley, at the end of the wilderness

you will find it

in the depth of the valley

at the end of the wilderness 

you are passing through

you scream it's all up in the air

falling down around me,

in the shadow of death I said

be still; I will yet make all things new.

So we come to the season where the empty world screams,

'buy happiness'.

And we hide our face and whisper for something bigger, 

something that will last no matter what sorrow comes our way.

And in the lasting oppressiveness of sorrow, we learn what it really means to

'be joyful always'. 

We hold on hope and smile even though it seems we always have a reason to cry.

We trust and we thank and we laugh because we will always have a reason to laugh.

And we find joy 

in the depth of the valley

at the end of the wilderness 

we are passing through

we stop our screams

because it has all fallen now

but the pieces will be put 

together again

and in the shadow of death

we are still; things will yet be all made new.

We find joy because we take the time to count,

we take the time to thank,

and the thankful leads to joy.

And the joy will outlive the pain. 

This joy is ours to keep.