I Cannot Find the Way Alone

Last week, Trent sent me an email inquiring about a hymn that his grandma was trying to find. The song he asked about was I Cannot Find the Way Alone. Well, I have played most of the songs in the UMC and Celebration hymnals and was pretty confident this song was not in either of those books. However, at lunch-time one day last week, I checked out the index of each book and could not find anything that matched. So when all else fails, Google it. Sure enough, within moments, I was reading the lyrics and even listening to the song on Youtube.

As I journey through this vale of sorrow
The way seems so strange and unknown
Lord, I need a helping hand to borrow
For I cannot find the way alone

I cannot find the way without You
Dear Lord, look down from Thy throne
And make Thy light to shine around me
For I cannot find the way alone

When the raging storms of life confound me
Dear Lord, wilt Thou keep me Thine own?
Let me feel Thy precious arms around me
For I cannot find the way alone

And make Thy light to shine around me
For I cannot find the way alone

Tonight, I pulled up the lyrics again to read them over again. The first line struck me. What is a "vale of sorrow?" Onward to m-w.com and the definition of vale:

Main Entry: vale
Pronunciation: \ˈvāl\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French val, from Latin valles, vallis; perhaps akin to Latin volvere to roll — more at voluble
Date: 14th century

1 : valley, dale
2 : world

We live in a world of incredible pain, death, and sickness - a vale of sorrow. A lot of times things just don't seem to make much sense. Maybe it is death, a troubled economy, depression, sickness. Whatever it is, it can settle in like an oppressive fog making the next steps unclear. It can be paralyzing. Yet, this simple song reminds of someone who guides through the storms.