I suppose everyone has a different interpretation and mental image of the "desert." I have seen the desert…..lots of sand, tumbleweed, dry, hot, (did I say lots of sand?), various shades of brown, barren. However, I have been told that the desert in full bloom is one of the most beautiful sights to behold. Having never personally witnessed that beauty, my mind's eye "sees" dry and barren when desert is mentioned.
And so it is that during these 40 days of Lent, I imagine Jesus in that barrenness while being tempted by evil. There was nowhere to hide (yet can we "hide" from it), nothing to lean on, no shelter, fully exposed. What did he do, this Savior of ours? While divine (in my humanness I often think that gave him an "edge"….Not!) he was also human….fully human….which means he "felt" like we do. He had "reactions and fears" like we do…he was "tempted" as we are. Interesting, isn't it, that we feel we have the weight of the world on our shoulders in times of stress and struggle? Talk about REALLY having the weight of the world on one's shoulders….!!!!!!
Each of us has / have desert experiences in our lives. Loneliness invades our minds and spirits as we struggle to figure out how to get out of that Godforsaken desert. We look for a path, a light, something to guide us through the darkness and back into the "Light." Then from within us we feel a push, a nudge, a flicker of hope….and we let go….and let God.
Jesus knew His Father in heaven was with Him. And like each one of us, He begged His Father to take it away, let it be done!! He had the strength to withstand the power of evil…..but it wasn't easy (divine or not).
And so, I pray…...
Lord, help each one of us in our desert times.
Help us to remember that You walk with us and carry us in the difficult times.
Give us the strength we need to withstand the darkness.
Be with us as we search for, and one day find, the blooms of hope in our deserts.
I wish you peace...
And so it is that during these 40 days of Lent, I imagine Jesus in that barrenness while being tempted by evil. There was nowhere to hide (yet can we "hide" from it), nothing to lean on, no shelter, fully exposed. What did he do, this Savior of ours? While divine (in my humanness I often think that gave him an "edge"….Not!) he was also human….fully human….which means he "felt" like we do. He had "reactions and fears" like we do…he was "tempted" as we are. Interesting, isn't it, that we feel we have the weight of the world on our shoulders in times of stress and struggle? Talk about REALLY having the weight of the world on one's shoulders….!!!!!!
Each of us has / have desert experiences in our lives. Loneliness invades our minds and spirits as we struggle to figure out how to get out of that Godforsaken desert. We look for a path, a light, something to guide us through the darkness and back into the "Light." Then from within us we feel a push, a nudge, a flicker of hope….and we let go….and let God.
Jesus knew His Father in heaven was with Him. And like each one of us, He begged His Father to take it away, let it be done!! He had the strength to withstand the power of evil…..but it wasn't easy (divine or not).
And so, I pray…...
Lord, help each one of us in our desert times.
Help us to remember that You walk with us and carry us in the difficult times.
Give us the strength we need to withstand the darkness.
Be with us as we search for, and one day find, the blooms of hope in our deserts.
I wish you peace...
Desert in bloom
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