Have you experienced a desert?

“A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and consequently living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life.” Thanks Wikipedia 

Our travels have us in “no mans land.”  We sailed along over the dry ground, reading signs that say “next 20 miles, turn off AC” and exclaiming over Farren’s outside thermometer reading 135* 😳. I was just amazed by the absence of life. 

No plants, No critters, just gravely dirt. One fly hit one of my girls, and she was surprised. A gnat landed on Lois and she “felt sorry for it, so I killed it.”  But really,  Death Valley has me traumatized.

As we traveled yesterday, and my passengers turned in for their Sunday afternoon naps, I entertained myself by thinking about how life brings desert seasons.

(Calico Ghost town was a booming silver mine in the 1880s until the silver market collapsed and the town deserted. We spent the night in a bunkhouse here. But saw no ghosts.)

Maybe something I thought was going to be a lush experience turns out to be only a red canyon with a river thru it.

(Horseshoe Bend was much more than that)

Grand Canyon

Or maybe the lights that glistened and enticed from afar were only a temporary distraction.

(Vegas at night. Crowds on the sidewalk, crowds in the streets. It was amazing to see the lights, and we were all glad to move on.)

Deborah shared Isaiah 35:1 with our group: “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”

The following verses in that chapter are a beautiful picture of God’s provision in the desert place.

Our journey hit a desert. We ran into a medical emergency and my angelic sister Emily and friend Lucy with a combination of angel wings and Delta airlines flew to our aid. 

“You find out who your friends are. Somebody’s gonna drop everything, run out and crank up their car… Never stop to say ‘what’s in it for me?’ Or ‘its way too far’. They just show on up with a big ol heart…”

God bless them for being that bloom in our desert. (And all the rest of you who moved in to cover while plans changed.)

We continue on. Our group is a little smaller now, which makes us sad. But we face the next 2 weeks with excitement realizing again-that the Almighty, who sometimes allows our footsteps to wander thru dry places-will provide a way. 

May you find a bloom, and friends as sweet as mine, in your desert. 

See you down the trail,

Kendra

Bonus Pics:

Farren Foto- Hoover Dam at sunset ☺️