Reflections on the Wilderness

     “12At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13and he was in the wilderness forty
     days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”
     Mark 1:12 – 13

As we continue our journey through lent let us be grateful for the wilderness.

When we think of the wilderness we think of a desolate, empty space where harsh conditions exist. When we find ourselves in wilderness moments, we often become overwhelmed by the severity of the landscape. And we can long, as the Israelites did, to return to something familiar – even if that thing is damaging slavery!

The forty days of Lent are a reminder and a tribute to the forty days Christ spent in the wilderness. Though our modern day wilderness moments are usually not physical, they are no less disconcerting and void of comfort.

Pope Francis says:

     “During the season of Lent, the Holy Spirit drives us too, like Jesus, to enter the desert. It is
     not as we have seen, a physical place, but rather an existential dimension in which to be
     silent and listen to the Word of God… Do not be afraid.” Angelus February 21, 2021

Listen in silence. We come to the wilderness not as punishment but as learning moments, growth moments. God is moving in our world whether we recognize it or not.

Letting the Spirit “drive” us into the desert is allowing ourselves to be led into what God is doing. We learn more in these spaces than on the mountain top. In the wastelands there is time for reflection. When we allow ourselves these moments and lean into them, we come away empowered in our Spirit. And joyfully, we do not face them alone, for like Jesus we are comforted by angels and the Spirit of God.

A moment of prayer for Lent:

Oh Father, I open my heart to the guiding of Your Spirit. Lead me into the desert and remind me of the wildness surrounding me in this broken world. Remind me of the precious time my Lord and Savior spent being tempted and tried in the wasteland filled with dangers and wild animals. Bring to my mind all that You have given me. Expose to me those moments where I have been carried by Your comforting servants. Remind me, Oh God that You are ever present in these desolate times.

Lord, thank You for Your obedience to the will of the Father. Thank You for Your example of how to face the times of trial. Let this season of Lent draw me closer to You, I pray.

Spirit of the Never-Ending God, rain fresh on me in this season and open my ears to hear, open my mind to comprehend and open my heart to share the great love You have showered on me.

Oh, Heavenly Father, take me today into Your arms and let me bury myself in You. As I walk through this season, let it not be a journey hastily pursued, but a true time of communion with You. In the precious name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Kathy Hendrix