Why Rain in the Desert?

I have lived in the desert many years, and I still have a feeling of wonder every time it rains.

Rain in the desert is an extraordinary thing – long looked for and a great blessing. It cools the air and transforms the landscape. But my favorite thing about it is the smell. The rain releases the fragrance of many desert plants – rosemary, sage, yucca – and they fill the air, strong and pungent, mingling with the freshness of the fallen rain. I love to step outside in the dark, close my eyes and breath it in.

To me, rain in the desert is a glimpse of the divine.

I am always looking for glimpses.

As Christians, we are called to walk by faith. But that is very hard. It is hard for me to trust when I cannot see. So I am always looking for those glimpses that help me to see – help me to believe. The transformation of the desert when it rains is one of those.

But it is more than that. It has a lot of spiritual ramifications for me, as well. Many times in my life when I have gone through hardships, I have felt dry, as though walking through a desert landscape. And always, always before I reach the last of my strength, God sends refreshment in some form – like a drink to a person who is parched – like a desert rain.

Sometimes it takes me a long time to see it. But always, when I look back, it is there. Desert rain has a lot of meaning to me, both in my physical life, and in my spiritual one. That is why I have called this blog “Rain in the Desert.” I hope it will be as such to you, as I share my journey – my glimpses – and my heart.