I wrote the following article in January 2020. I have published Peaceful Moments since writing this and learned so very much in the process! I am so very grateful for the desert experience. It grew me, refined me, and made me into a stronger more confident woman! Enjoy the article.

Wandering in the Desert
“What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.” Antoine de Saint

For the past few months I’ve been wandering in the desert…searching. Searching for creativity. Searching for words to weave into poems and stories. Searching for ideas on how to publish my poetic devotional journal as cheaply as possible. Searching for answers, wisdom, and direction.

The desert is not a place most would choose for their traveling destination. Most of us would choose to visit the mountains, meadows, or oceans. Mountains are often the source of wisdom, oceans the source of refreshment, and the meadows the source of nourishment. The desert, on the other hand, is a barren place that is freezing cold at night and scorching hot in the daytime. It’s a place of drought, struggle, loneliness, and death. Very few choose to willingly travel or vacation in the desert.

Yet, the desert produces life. The plants of the desert are hardy and beautiful. They can withstand the scorching heat and the frigid nights. They can survive drought and hardship. They also provide food, shade, and protection for those creatures who call the desert their home. Many lessons can be learned and gleaned from the desert.

I don’t exit this desert period of my creative journey empty-handed. I gleaned some fruit from my time wandering in the desert. I learned that I’ve been comparing my writing and painting abilities too much to others. I realized that I’ve been trying to make decisions on my own without seeking guidance from Holy Spirit, my Teacher. He showed me that while I have bathed my paintings in prayer and used prayer to match up the poems with their watercolor background, I haven’t bathed the publishing of the devotional journal in prayer. He pointed out that I just tried to follow my own ideas and my own path in that part of my journey which only led to frustration, disappointment, and discouragement. My time in the desert allowed me to see that I need to keep my eye on my Creator. I need to seek His direction on which path I need to take in publishing the poetic devotional journal and on when is the right time to head down the path He points me to. I’m exiting the desert with these lessons in my knapsack. They are valuable treasures from the desert that I want to hold onto for the rest of my life.

“I cared for you in the wilderness in the land of drought.”

Hosea 13:5

“For the LORD your GOD has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through the great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.”

Deuteronomy 2:7