We were driving home from a visit to my parents in Arkansas, and were driving through the plains of Oklahoma. There were no hills, barely any trees, just a sea of grass and a few cows here and there. I felt myself starting to get a bit anxious to just get home. There was nothing interesting to look at, my children were getting fussy, and I was getting impatient. My husband was taking a small nap in the back while I drove. There was simply nothing going on, but endless road. Then I felt a still, quiet voice say, "Peace. Be still."
It almost caught me off guard. I hadn't been praying, or to be honest, been thinking about God at all at the moment. I was just off in my own little world, thinking.
So I just relaxed a little and began to wonder what God was trying to speak. Then a few simple words came to me.
Desolate places bring:
1. Quiet
2. No distractions
3. Teaches patience and endurance
4. Peace (if we allow it)
5. Rest
When we find ourselves in a desolate place spiritually, maybe God is wanting to bring us where we don't have distractions and can just concentrate on our relationship with Him. He wants our full attention and He knows if our lives are busy, busy, busy all the time, then we could (and often will) loose sight of Him and His plan for our lives. There is peace all around us and if we allow it, it can bring healing to our hearts. We can be refilled and rejuvenated by His love, as we allow the quiet times to teach us patience and endurance. I know for me, I like a busy life, full of things to do, places to be, people to see. And so when God has me in a quiet place, a place of resting, I am often anxious and ready to get back to fast-paced life. I don't often understand why He has me in this place of no distractions. So if we allow it, God will teach us patience and endurance.
All of this boiled down to God telling me to appreciate every season He has me in. I would not have made it home if I hadn't been willing to drive through the desolate places in Oklahoma. So to get to our goal (Jesus!) we need to be willing to go through the highs of life and the lows of life. There is a purpose and plan for each situation. We can find God in each one and He will lead us through. We just have to trust in Him and understand that He sees the ultimate picture and knows the perfect way for us to make it Home to Him!
