I think of walking through “the valley” as walking through the hardest, most grief-filled times of life.
The times where the heaviness is tangiable, and you know you aren’t ok.
The valleys feel terrible. They are hard to bare.
But life isn’t just filled with valleys and hilltops.
Sometimes we walk into dry seasons in the desert, too.
These are the seasons where although things aren’t terrible, we aren’t completely grief-ridden, yet there is such a sense of dryness.
Lack of zeal, passion and focus.
The desert is the place where we aren’t even sometimes sure why, but we feel distant from God, and disconnected from life.
Honestly? The desert is tough.
Because at least in the "valley" we know why it’s so hard.
But the desert can sneak up on us and before we know it, we are knee deep walking in the heavy sand.
It’s in this season that we often feel unmotivated.
We know what we “need” to do but don’t have the desire or energy to do it.
So it can feel like we will be stuck in the desert forever.
And you know what else??
We get really, really thirsty there.
We know we are parched but not sure how to find water.
King David described it this way, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1
Are you in it now, friend?
Are you feeling stuck in the sand as the sun scorches the energy out of you?
I have been here recently too, and I can literally feel myself missing Jesus.
Not because He went anywhere, but because I did.
I went somewhere in my head, in my heart, in my soul.. I don’t even know.
But I want to get back to the springs, back to the living water.
I know you do, too.
Because that’s where we feel alive. That’s where we feel purpose and passion.
Friend, there are times we need to reach out to God even when we don’t “feel like it”.
There are times we may need to create space for time with Jesus even if it feels pointless.
It’s not, even if your brain tells you it is.
Jesus doesn’t just meet us when we are eager for Him, He meets us when we invite Him.
So even if it sounds like a, “Jesus, I don’t know how to connect with you right now, but help me have faith to keep trying”... so be it.
He sees your heart. He knows how hard this is.
You might not feel a super surge of the Holy Spirit.. or maybe you will.
Regardless, keep showing up.
Jesus knows the way out of the desert, and will bring you to the spring.
Dry seasons only stay dry when we avoid going to the water.
~Kelli Bachara, The Unraveling Blog
Comments