In and out of Desert Spaces
I was reminded during church a few weeks back of how different our lives were a year ago. Mike needed full-time work. We missed being in ministry. We had a baby on the way. Month to month the only thing we knew for certain was that our lives were full of uncertain things. We felt very much like we were alone in the middle of a desert.
We had been praying for nearly a year and a half for steady full-time work. We knew all about the tough economic times and how so many people were faring far worse – but that understanding did little to change the desperation in our hearts. We were drained in every way imaginable and knew we were running out of viable options. What we needed was a miracle.
A year ago I remember sitting in our church auditorium singing the lyrics of Matt Redman’s Blessed Be Your Name. In desert places. In the wilderness. In pain and suffering…
Worship despite the heartache.
Worship even though it hurts.
Worship when you can’t see an end in sight.
Worship. Worship. Worship.
A year ago, I worshipped from the middle of a desert space. I was confused, worried, broken. There was an urgency and abandonment in my cry to a God who I knew could make things right in my life, but at that moment had chosen not to. I didn’t understand, so I worshipped.
I didn’t know it at the time, but last November we were on the cusp of God bringing that miracle to us. Mike began conversations with staff from our church eventually leading to his placement in the Youth Department and the opportunity to focus on finishing his degree. In a matter of months, everything changed. The uncertainty, the stress, the chaos all disappeared – and so did the desert.
I cried remembering how far we’ve come in the last year. God has brought us from a place of uncertainty and fear about the future, to a place of peace and a place of hope. He taught us how to depend on Him, how to trust in Him, and what it means to bring a sacrifice of praise. He blessed us by bringing us out of a desert season. But I’ve come to realize He blessed us by leading us into one too. There is so much we can be thankful for.