The Oasis in the Desert

"Can’t go over it. Can’t go under it. Can’t go around it. Oh no, we’ve got to go through it!"
–We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (a Marie and Erik favorite) 

Today is Ash Wednesday, which means that another Lent is upon us. That ho-hum, gloomy time that seems so…unappealing. Aside from giving people a good excuse to spend Fat Tuesday partying and getting rid of the last of that Valentine’s day candy, that is. Or a second shot at keeping those New Year’s resolutions that have grown stale. But who really wants to give something up for the sake of just…giving it up? Ugh. Not sure who came up with that idea.

Side note: I clearly remember my 7-year-old self deciding to give up all chocolate except Nutella, because there was no way I could handle that much sacrifice. The next year I did give up Nutella. But just Nutella, no other chocolate. Such a tortured soul, I was...



The truth is, deciding to give up chocolate or beer [or shaving...ahem] for Lent is completely meaningless in and of itself. Sure, it can serve as a reminder, but it's got to be rooted in the true purpose of the Lenten season. So what is that?

Back in the days of Jesus, when life was good and he still had everything going for him, Jesus decided to go on a little vacation in the desert. All by himself. He willingly spent 40 days dealing with hunger and temptation from the Devil himself before facing the most horrific trial and death known to man. But there was a reason he was willing. For Jesus it was a time of preparation, totally alone with God, coming to terms with what was in store for him. He had to intimately learn God’s will; he had to understand that he was going through the the most gruesome death known to man in order to accomplish the most glorious miracle known to man. So it is with Lent: 40 days of spiritual self-reflection and self-improvement so we can get to know God well enough to let Him in—like really let Him in--and let Him help us when life inevitably hands us the tough stuff.


The way I see it? Lent isn’t a time for self-deprecation. It’s an opportunity for growth. A chance to learn how to walk through our own deserts.

Because like it or not, we’ve each got one to walk through right now. It may be emotional, or physical, or spiritual. For some of us it may be unique to this stage in life, an exhausting series of towering dunes standing between us and some sweet relief. For others it may seem to be a barren path that continues to twist and wind and turn infinitely in front of us, surrounded by unending stretches of emptiness, and we wonder if we’re ever going to meet the end. But either way, when life brings us to that dry and uninviting place, it’s certainly not where we want to be. Nothing we’d ever choose to walk through on our own. Unfortunately, though, life doesn’t exactly give us the option of turning around. We’re just plopped down in front of it all with the miserable and overwhelming task of trudging through the desert and somehow making it to the other side. That is, if there is one.

Can’t go over it. Can’t go under it. Can’t go around it. We gotta go through it.

So we might as well go through it with God.

Don’t get me wrong, the fact that we have God on our side doesn’t magically turn a walk through the desert into in to a walk in the park. He doesn’t promise that we’ll be saved from trials, and He definitely doesn’t promise an explanation for why we have to go through them. But He promises to walk with us. And He knows how to get us to the little oasis that can keep us going for a bit longer. He knows what our greatest needs are even before we know. And if I had to pick one person to rely on in the wilderness, I can’t think of anyone more compassionate, more willing—or more able—to help than Him. So regardless of how many questions I have for God (and believe you me, I have a LOT), I’m pretty sure I’m not going to get closer to the answers unless I’m getting closer to Him.

So tonight I’m taking the first step into the vast spiritual desert in my soul, the one I’ve been avoiding for too long now. We’ve got some thorny issues to confront in this desert, God and I. I really don’t like to get sand stuck in my shoes, I am NOT a fan of the heat, and I’m sure I’ll find myself trying to turn around or back track more than once. (Even though I know I’m not going to become a more loving wife, a more patient mom, or a more caring friend simply on my own accord). But with God’s grace, I’ll be able to cut out some of the noise from the world around me and hear His voice, the only one that really matters, guiding me to the next little oasis. Helping me grow just a little more. Maybe He’ll send someone into my life to walk with me for a bit and help carry the load. Maybe He’ll even answer a question or two along the way. If I do my part, I have no doubt that God will keep his promise to prepare me for the beautiful view waiting for me on the other side…and 40 days from now the joy of Easter will be that much sweeter—chocolate and all!