I had a wonderful conversation with a dear friend a few days back.  I was telling her how I am struggling with a few things right now and she responded, “It’s as though you are in exile, like the Israelites and Jesus were.”

I haven’t been able to stop reflecting on this and what it means for me right now.  So, here is a bit of what I’m thinking about:

  • The Israelites spent 40 years in the desert, much longer than the trip should have been, but there was a reason.  I need to sit with God and open myself up to what He wants me to learn from my own wanderings right now.
  • Even though the Israelites felt lost and abandoned, they weren’t.  God was there, watching over them, feeding them and quenching their thirst.  God was there, and God is here now.
  • Jesus went into the desert to pray.  My desert can be an opportunity to pray without distractions.  Letting go and dis-attaching is so important to prayer. 
  • Jesus was tempted by earthly things.  There are temptations that we face each day.  We must not become so desensitized that we don’t see them for what they are.

We are all led to the desert at times in our lives.  May we be open to where Our Lord is leading us.