WILDERNESS RINGS AUTHENTICALLY as a spiritual metaphor. Looking back on my own life, I think of situations where I was confused, discouraged, and under pressure. I wasn’t happy and didn’t see what the future held. I felt tested; I wasn’t sure how best to deal with a situation and couldn’t quite perceive God’s presence. In other cases the test required strength and perseverance. I associate certain locations of my life with times of stress and testing. Some of my wilderness situations involved waiting: for medical tests results, for news about school or job applications. The most painful places of our lives can be, temporarily at least, the mailbox (postal or e-mail) or the telephone. When life is unhappy in a nonspecific way, we can distract ourselves with other activities. But anxiety, “what if” thinking, and distress plague us when we wait. Yet waiting on God is a positive thing—according to the scriptures. “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31). Somem of us, when we wait for the Lord, are not mighty eagles but rather squawking blue jays or fussy kildeer! “Lead me in your truth, and teach me,” prays the psalmist, “”for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long” (Psalm 25:5). “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name” (Psalm 33:20-21).
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 14:27:47 +0000
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