Lovely Lenten reflection on wilderness space….
“Old Testament references hint at the fact that the wilderness is also a place of intimacy where God speaks to us very tenderly those things he has been wanting to say to our souls: ‘Therefore I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her…there she shall respond as in the days of her youth.’ (Hosea 2:14,15) And let’s not forget that Jesus’ wilderness experience concluded with the experience of having angels come and minister to him.
Oftentimes we think of the wilderness as being a harsh and punishing place; however, it can also be a place where we find clarity, discover inner strength, and experience the salvation that comes from God alone. It can be a place where we experience God’s steadfast love. As Henri Nouwen says, ‘We have to fashion our own desert where we can withdraw every day, shake off our compulsions and dwell in the gentle healing presence of the Lord. Without such a desert we will lose our own soul while preaching the gospel to others.’
– Ruth Haley Barton
How are you making wilderness space in your own life this Lent? What might God be inviting you into?