The Season to Embrace

At different times in life God seems to shower blessings on us. These are times we feel pure happiness. Prayer is distinctively fruitful, school or work is productive, our team is performing well, friends are supportive, and family time is uplifting and refreshing. It is during these times when being grateful is easy, and worrying (like I tend to do) is more distant. Times like these are filled with joy and hope, and I find myself constantly striving for these highs.

Then, there’s the times when life challenges me. I begin feeling aimless and lonely in my walk with Christ. I feel as if I’m walking through my own personal desert. It’s during these times, while navigating through difficult people, situations, and setbacks, that I selfishly find myself questioning where the Lord is trying to take me. Perhaps physically, emotionally, spiritually, or in some combination, I am feeling a bit scarce for direction and thirsting for clarity in my ultimate purpose.

If you’ve been there, you know, it’s not a comfortable place.

This past year has blessed me with the opportunity to really reflect on what a desert season looks like in my life. My own struggles- whether they be injury, loneliness, or a deeper desire to dwell in the Lord’s presence- have led me to compare myself to my peers, friends, teammates, and even my family.

The more I reflect, the more God has shown me that my desert is mine for a reason. This is because I am called to grow in holiness not according to my own control (which I cling to far too often), but according to the masterful plans that have already been designed for me. It wasn’t until recently that I understood this need to embrace my season as a time to determine how the Lord really wants me to grow as His servant.

Owning Your Desert

I recently had the pleasure of catching up with a good friend of mine via FaceTime. After sharing our lives’ happy updates, it didn’t take long for us to look past that and realize we were similarly walking through a bit of dry season. Our discussion led to what our deserts might mean for us as we strive to become the women God is calling us to be. It was by no means a pity party (very far from it actually), as together we were able to talk about how we can own our bits of suffering and turn them into something greater, something with a higher purpose.

After a couple of hours (and much delirium) on the phone, I was suddenly drawn to this image of a cactus standing in a vast desert. I couldn’t help but think of the cactus as me- stuck in place and thirsting for more of what would give me life.  It has since become our joke that my life’s little messes are “my cactus” and hers are “her camel” (can you tell we stayed up way too late talking about this?).  Oddly enough, the more I go back to it, the more I seriously find truth in how these desert images represent how we can grow through our challenges.

In the Heat

While some plants and animals have found ways to adapt to a life in the desert, we recognize how difficult it is for most organisms to sustain life, and much less thrive under these extreme conditions. The fires we face in our daily lives can often feel the same. It is hot. It is tough. It is uncomfortable. It’s all too easy to think that we are not equipped to handle our struggles and sins.

But here’s the catch: Uncomfortable is the best place to be, because it is where we have the opportunity to grow the most. So, if you think of yourself from the perspective of a camel or a cactus, you will find that you are actually built for it. 

[ctt template=”11″ link=”JBf8y” via=”yes” ]”Uncomfortable is the best place to be because it is where we have the opportunity to grow the most. So, if you think of yourself from the perspective of a camel or a cactus, you will find that you are actually built for it (suffering).”[/ctt]

In Matthew, chapter 4, we hear how Jesus is tempted in the desert. He refuses to give in to the works of the enemy, and at his most vulnerable point, the angels come to minister to him. We too have been created to find God when we are most vulnerable and rely on Him fully and completely. Like me, you may find that the call to hand over this trust is more convicting once you realize that your ability to control is no longer an option, and only you and the desert seem to remain.

Sustaining Life

If and when you find yourself in a dry season, I want to leave you with a few points to remember about sustaining life when we find ourselves in the desert:

1. Prayer: Establishing prayer life is like storing water for when the surroundings become dry and heated around us. Dedicate yourself to prayer and developing a deeper and more dependent love of the Lord so that you can depend on Him more fully when times get tough.
2. Pursuit: Even when we are left thirsting for more and feeling abandoned, we must continue to pursue the truth that we are growing through our circumstances. Take time to reflect on how God is using times of trials in your life to refine you into the best version of yourself.
3. Perspective: It is easy to become distracted by the chaos of our surroundings and allow our trying times to become part of our identities and consume us. Instead, let’s work to use our deserts to transform our hearts to be more closely aligned with the Lord’s will for us.

From my cactus to yours,

Paige

ABOUT PAIGE

Paige is a collegiate swimmer at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She loves Music City, but stays true to her Florida roots with her love of sunshine and the beach. She’s a daughter, a sister to two brothers, a friend, and a teammate. If you haven’t already guessed it, I’m the camel to her cactus. I’m blessed to have a friend like her to make the deserts of life seem less lonely. 10/10 recommend being her friend!! 🙂 Thanks Paige for sharing your beautiful soul with us!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Podcast- How To Spiritual Dryness (by Kevin and Lisa Cotter) 
• Talk- Embracing the Cross (given by Josie at DOSA youth retreat) 
• Homily- 3/31/18 Homily on the Cross: Father Joseph Kuhlman