Survival in the Desert

A couple of weeks ago we were able to take a bit of a road trip together. We had piled safely buckled our kids in the back of a minivan at o'dark hundred and were headed to St. George, UT. We had so much fun.  We talked, we laughed, we sung songs, and played games.  We even got some writing done!  Yay us! But as the sun came up we began to notice things about our surroundings.  To put it bluntly it was ugly.  Dry, flat, and ugly.  There were no real trees to speak of and no pretty flowers growing along the road.  But there was a whole lot of nothing.  For miles.

We did see some of those rough-looking desert plants.  Surprisingly those scrubby, boring plants actually gave us quite a bit to talk about.  We started to notice some of these hardy survivor-plants were actually growing up through the asphalt at the edges of the road.  As if growing in the desert wasn't hard enough, these plants wanted to go the extra mile.  We got to thinking about these plants.  To survive in this harsh desert climate they had to be specialized, unique, and able to withstand some of the harshest elements.  The desert is certainly not an ideal place to grow much of anything, so the things that do grow there must be hardy and strong.  They develop deep roots to search out and reach the much needed water and also to anchor themselves against the gusty desert winds.

We, as followers of Christ, are not too different from these desert plants.  In the coming years we will have to make ourselves somewhat "specialized" to survive in the harsh world, a place we know is not an ideal place for spiritual growth and development .  We need to be hardy and strong.  We will need to develop thick skins like that of a cactus to protect us from enemies who would suck out our inner goodness.  

We can create an oasis of sorts, within our communities, a place that people can find spiritual refreshment. Together we can stand strong and give strength to each other.  And for those who are truly standing alone, be strong, set your roots deep, and do not give way to the harsh winds and back lashes of the world.  

We will survive in the harsh desert.