This week's lesson from the old testament comes from the period when the people of Israel are wandering in the desert. As they do, they grow impatient and begin to complain. God sends snakes to bite them. They ask Moses to pray for them. God takes the snakes away.
It is easy to get impatient with life. The grass is always greener. We so easily forget past hardships and overblow the troubles of today.
The wilderness is not the promised land, but we are called to be patient with our times in the wilderness. A sucky job, another grueling semester, a lonely period, a stressful time, thankless care giving for a child or parent. The wilderness can seem endless. The endlessness creates despair and despair leads to impatience.
Faith is hard. We don't know when or if the desert will end. Maybe 40 days, maybe 40 years, maybe never. And God asks us to put one for in front of the other and carry on. Faithful to our current call, hopeful for the future. And trust that there will be manna on the way. All we need to nourish us on the journey.
I think marketing would have a hard time selling
"...wandering endlessly in the desert."
And yet we are called to hard things... going back to school to follow a passion,
making sacrifices to care for a parent, taking care of foster kids...
The list goes on..
These calls to the desert can suck. Especially when you are knee deep in it and no one understands. Everyone else seems to have greener grass.
When I find myself in these types of wilderness, I feel like the Israelites, ready to complain about how none of this is fair. I shouldn't have to deal with wilderness.
I've paid dues... time for some promised land.
I mean don't we all deserve the promise land.
We are doing noble things after all.
Then...
the wilderness breaks me.
I just can't do it anymore.
And I fine myself with
an incredible need for God
just to make it through and
a desperate hope that
the promise land is out there.
And then Easter finds me.
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