I’ve been fascinated by the story of the transfiguration of Jesus lately. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on a mountain where he transfigured before them to show his true glory. “And He was transfigured before them; and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light.” Matthew 17:2. Then Moses and Elijah show up on the scene too, and Peter says “Lord it is good for us to be here; If you wish, I will make three tabernacles here…” Matthew 17:4.

I totally understand why Peter said that. I’m sure that was an incredible moment and Peter wanted to make it last as long as possible and stay in that moment for as long as he could. It was like a glimpse of Heaven, seeing Jesus in that glorified state.

But they could not stay there forever, and I love what happens next. The first thing they encounter when they come down from the mountain back into the valley is a boy possessed with a demon. Talk about a mood changer!

In reflecting on this story more, I consider how often I am like Peter in this story–enjoying the mountaintop experiences in life and wanting to make them last. In fact, I often get frustrated when I am in the valley because I’ve convinced myself that I should always be experiencing the mountaintop feeling if I have Christ. Isn’t that what we were rescued for? I’ve convinced myself that if I am feeling anything less than a mountaintop feeling that I must be doing something wrong. I must not be spending enough time with Jesus. Or worse, I turn selfish and blame it on others or on God.

But we aren’t made for the mountaintop as long as there are still valleys in the world. It’s easy for me to be depressed after I have descended from a mountaintop. That experience can look differently for different people, but for me it often looks like a weekend spent with community or even a year living with my best friends who all love Jesus and encourage each other constantly. It’s hard for me to find joy in anything in the valley after that.

But the mountaintop is easy and comfortable, and God didn’t call us to that. He called us to do His work, to join Him in the fight, to be His hands and feet, to join Him in healing people of their spiritual brokenness, to make disciples, and that can only happen in the valley. It’s in the valley where we grow, where we are broken down to be sanctified, where we learn to abandon everything and to relentlessly trust and follow God.

I have to train myself to believe that because if I am being honest, the mountaintop feels right. In fact, it is where we were intended to be before the fall happened. But everything changed after the fall. All believers were lost in the valley at one point. It wasn’t until Jesus revealed himself to each of us that we were rescued from the valley. In some way, Jesus was “transfigured” before each us and we had our first mountaintop experience.But then we had to make a choice, to try to prolong our stay on the mountaintop or to follow Jesus into the valley. But here’s a secret: we don’t actually have control over how long our mountaintop experiences will last. Trying to control that only leads us down a more painful route to the valley. If we don’t willingly follow Jesus into the valley, then it could be easy to believe that we are in the valley against out will and it can be a miserable, selfish valley experience.

But here is what I am learning and trusting God in. God knows exactly what we need. He knows when we need a mountaintop experience. He knows when we need those moments to be refueled and recharged on the mountain to propel us into the next valley. Truly believing this causes an entire shift in my perspective of the valley and mountaintop. Each of those mountaintop experiences are a gift. They are a reminder of the hope I have in eternity where everyday in Heaven will be like a mountaintop experience because there are no more valleys.

But for now, I am called to the valley. But there is joy in the valley too. It’s hard and it’s painful, but it is incredibly worth it to work and alongside Jesus and get to join Him in his redemptive work even if that means suffering too. It’s what we were made for. And there is more joy in the valley than trying to desperately cling onto the mountaintop.