Lessons From The Desert

“To receive the grace of God, you must go into the desert and stay awhile.” – Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Every Christian must enter the desert at one point or another. It’s a seemingly dry, empty space where we feel lost, confused, heartbroken, or like God is nowhere to be found. I have lived in the desert on many occasions – sometimes for a day, other times for months on end. It’s painful. It’s uncomfortable. It requires a constant denial of ourselves and our own desires. But over the years, I have found that these periods of my life have been the most transformative out of any other. And when I really think about it, those were the times that I felt the most intimate touches of God in my heart.

During this season of Lent where the Church enters into a proverbial desert of self-sacrifice and penitence, we can remember five important lessons to strengthen our resolves and to keep us going:

1. We are in constant need of God’s grace.  Nothing is more humbling than being dragged out into the wilderness. I’ve almost always seemed to enter into a desert period right when I think I have things all worked out by myself. Coincidence? Probably not. Only when God strips us down to bare bones can we understand how truly weak we are without Him. We realize how feeble our wills are and how attached we are to physical, emotional, or spiritual consolations. We suffer without these things for a time, but when God restores them after a season of famine, we learn to love Him and appreciate His goodness all the more.

2. The greatest growth comes from pain.  Gold can only be purified by fire. It was during my times in the desert that I was forced to practice the virtues that I wanted badly to grow but was too weak or stubborn to actually carry out. It was only when God pressed me harder with a gentle hand that I was truly able to develop into a better version of myself in Him. Any struggle He asks us to endure is an opportunity for us to become better.

3. God uses hardship to call us to greater intimacy with Himself.  Often times, God draws us into a dry season in order for us to see and hear Him more closely (“I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” – Hosea 2:14). When we are free from earthly distractions or are in a place of pain, we are able to connect with the Lord in a much more real way. Some of my greatest spiritual consolations have come from periods of suffering and loneliness. Many times that is the only way the Lord can break into our hearts of stone.

4. We are never alone, no matter how desolate our situations seem.  Being in the middle of a spiritual or emotional wasteland can seem like the loneliest place in the world. But even in the most remote solitude, even in the most arid of times, we can remember that we truly are never alone and that He is always there to guide, comfort, and strengthen us.

5. It will end.  Finally, we know that he desert does not last forever. God knows our limits. He knows that our crosses are heavy and that we need help carrying them. That’s why He offers us reprieves – consolations and comforts return, we are renewed in our strength, and trusting Him becomes easy again. Remember, the Jews eventually entered the Promised Land after forty long years of wandering in the desert. So will we.

During this Lent, and any other time in your life when all seems barren, instead of trying to run, ask yourself, “What is God trying to teach me through this trying time? What virtues might He be asking me to cultivate? Trust? Abandonment? Humility? What is He stripping off me so I can follow Him more closely? My pride? My plans? My will?”

Let’s embrace the loving transformation that Christ is seeking within us during times when we think nothing is happening or when we’re down to nothing, for it is during those times that we grow the most in holiness. The desert can be cold and empty, yes. But if we walk closely next to Him through the sand, holding on tightly, we will emerge stronger and more beautiful than we were before we entered.