DESOLATE

Wastelands of the mind. The desert created by our thoughts. Gardens that never blossom nor flower in any hope.

We sow the seeds in the soil of our lives. What we plant will thrive either for good or bad. That is what we choose.

Course we do have help. Most often we will observe what others plant such as a parents. And if they planted weeds, most likely so will we.

Not that we have to farm the same way. And there are so many cases when there are other factors.

For we are affected by our surroundings. Other elements such as circumstances can influence our options.

That is when our attitude comes into play. You know the option of if we choose to face the future with hope or despair.

This is where faith matters. Now some relate it to confidence and optimism. But I'm not always sure that is true.

I don't have to have faith in my abilities to know God can do the impossible. I don't need to see my future as promising as much as to know the Lord can alter anything.

The big problem I think is coming to terms with when the land is meant to be desolate. There are occasions when it truly is necessary.

That doesn't mean we like it. Nor will we be likely to say thank you. But still there are occasions when God makes it our journey.

The reasons can be many. They can vary from a test of our faith to other reasons such as teaching us obedience.

But what we can not do is look at our neighbors garden with any degree of comparison. As if to ask, why is mine better or their's more blessed.

How often that is human nature. How prone we can be to such choices, but the problem is that God will have times that it is to our benefit to face adversity.

It does challenge us and make the trip difficult. Something that is not always easy to appreciate.

Even more so if someone else is not suffering. And if we think they should that just makes things more difficult.
That becomes our test with the desolation measuring what we value.