Sand Castles

Being in the desert, to me, is not an enjoyable place. It's hot, dry, sandy (duh)...but being in the desert physically and being in the desert spiritually are 2 completely different things. I've never actually been to the desert but living in Oklahoma and Texas my whole life, I know how it feels being in middle of an open red dirt field with no wind and it's 110 degrees. That's not fun and I can only imagine what the desert feels like physically.

I can tell you how it feels to be in a desert spiritually but I believe everyone's spiritual desert place and experience is different from each other and different everytime. I know that right now the transition that me and my wife are in is put me in a desert place. I know that God has called my wife and I to work with Network 21 Missions in Culture Shock but that's all we've known for the last 6 months. Our next step has been a mystery to us but not to God. I know we have to wait on His timing and not our timing to make it work. In order to work like God wants it to and to work to glorify Him, it has to be done right and in His time.

The desert place I'm at right now is frustrating me I've been there for awhile. I know that when God places you there it's for a purpose, but sometimes it's like the desert gets to you and messes with your mind. You start hearing things that you think is God and you follow those things because they're "leading you out" of the desert when really you're getting further away from getting out. Sometimes your mind will even play trick on you and you see things that will make you believe it's real or the way.

Daily I have to remember to clear my mind and spiritually "clean my ears out" so I can hear God talking to me and leading me. Sometimes you will think you've become deaf or have a ear full of sand because you can't hear God's voice.

In saying all that...the desert place sucks both physically and spiritually but the reward for fighting through it and the lessons learned are sweeter then giving up and getting nothing out of it to help you. One thing about giving up is (sometimes we don't think about this) if God's next step for us is to go through the learning experience in a desert place and we give up...we still have that step to go through to get where God wants us at. When we run from it, it gets tougher to go through it later than it would when God first brought us to that place. We just need to have clarity daily and have people praying with us to keep us encouraged to be able to finish the dreaded desert.

Hebrews 13:5 & 6 says (The Message):
"Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote,

God is there, ready to help;

I'm fearless no matter what.

Who or what can get to me?"

if you like more traditional versions...

Hebrews 13:5 & 6 says (NKJV):

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?"