Becoming in the Valley: When Purpose Is Formed in Quiet Places

What does it mean when you’re in the valley? It means you’re in a season of development, not punishment. A valley, spiritually, represents a place of pressing — but also of preparation. It’s where your faith is refined and your roots go deep. God never wastes a valley. Scripture reminds us in Psalm 46:10 to “Be still, and know that I am God” — a call not to inaction, but to trust in the midst of uncertainty. It’s in the valley where you learn that silence doesn’t mean absence — it means intimacy. The spiritual meaning of the valley is surrender. God often puts us there not to crush us, but to quiet us, so we can be shaped without the noise of the mountaintop. The valley isn’t the end of the journey — it’s where the becoming begins.

I haven’t just been away… I’ve been becoming.

And this first episode of the podcast? It’s personal.

After more than 30 years of standing beside my husband in ministry, raising four children, mentoring women, and stewarding vision, I found myself in the most unexpected season of all: widowhood. My beloved “Mr. Incredible” — my husband, partner, and best friend — went home to be with the Lord.

And just like that, I was walking through the valley.

But instead of breaking me, God began to build me.

The Surrender That Shaped Me

I thought I had surrendered — my comfort, my timeline, my plans.

But God said, “There’s more.”

He asked me to surrender something deeper: my attitude.

As a born fighter raised in Riviera Beach, survival was my second nature. I wore my strength like armor. But God whispered, “If you’re fighting, I can’t.”

So I had to sit my warrior down and let my Father rise up.

That season was a mirror, and in it, I saw my reflection in Isaiah 6:

“In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord…”

In the year Darrol passed, God told me, “Now, Aimee, I need you to see Me.”

Not just as Comforter. But as Builder. As Refiner.

As the One who was giving me my own mantle to carry.

A Story of Oil and Open Hands

My life began to echo the widow’s story in 2 Kings 4.

Grieving. Uncertain. Empty-handed.

But when Elisha asked, “What do you have?”

She answered, “Just a little oil.”

Sis, I felt that.

Just enough oil to survive.

Just enough to show up… barely.

But God didn’t ask her to pour publicly. First, He told her to go inside and shut the door. Because the oil doesn’t flow in public until it’s been multiplied in private.

And that’s what God did for me.

He shut the door.

He poured the oil.

He rebuilt the woman.

From Balance to Rhythm

Before, I chased balance — trying to be everything for everyone.

But God began to teach me a better way: rhythm.

Balance demands perfection.

Rhythm invites presence.

It means moving with the Spirit. Not taking on more than I should. Recognizing my season. Because life comes in seasons — and wisdom knows the difference.

Becoming Her — Even in the Valley

One day during worship, a friend captured a photo of me with my arms raised.

But when I looked closely, my hands were closed.

And the Lord said, “Aimee, your arms are up, but your hands are closed. What I need from you is open-handed surrender.”

That moment marked me.

Because surrender isn’t just posture — it’s practice.

We can raise our arms, but if we don’t release what we’re gripping, we’re still in control.

This has become my Esther moment.

My Ruth moment.

The moment I walked away from what was familiar to step into what is faithful.

And sis — it’s not just me.

It’s you too.

If we’re going to become the women and men God created us to be, we have to trust Him with our yes. Even when it’s quiet. Even when it’s hard. Because we are not formed on mountaintops — we are forged in valleys.

🛡️ 3 Anchors for Your Valley Season

    1.    Surrender is both posture and practice.

Don’t just look surrendered. Open your hands.

    2.    God develops in private what He uses in public.

The closed-door season is sacred. That’s where your oil multiplies.

    3.    Your rhythm with God matters more than the world’s idea of balance.

Follow grace, not grind. Let His pace lead your purpose.

🎧 Listen + Download

You can hear the full episode, “Becoming Her: The Surrender That Shaped Me,” now on The Purpose Pursuit Podcast.

🆓 Plus, download your free guide:

👉 Becoming in the Valley: Three Anchors to Hold On To

You’re not alone in this, sis.

You’re becoming.

And He’s with you in the valley.