Monday, June 18, 2012

Treasures in the Desert

{By Samantha Roose}

Recently, I have been reading “Hinds Feet on High Places.  It’s a story of lame little Much-Afraid’s journey of faith in the Shepherd.  Shepherd has promised to take her to the High Places and on the way give her the feet of a deer.  After traveling several days the path turns, taking Much-Afraid down into a desert dashing her hopes—Shepherd had promised to take her to the High Places!  Exploring this book, yet again, I have found many similarities to my own journey with my Lord and Shepherd. 


The Lord has been revealing to me how much of my identity I find in having control (which is, I’m afraid, quite a bit).  Faithfully and gently, He has been bringing me to a spot of humble surrender, trust and reliance to Him.  It's hard because, like Much-Afraid, I feel that God is taking me down into a desert valley when He had promised that He would take me up.  I cannot see how this scorching plain with a few random and awkward pyramids is taking me to the promised place.  I can't see the end of this desolate and uncomfortable path.  Everything within me wants to run up the precipice despite the jagged impossibilities.  My heart cries and I wonder how long I can continue to look this way. 

It's then that He takes my hand and promises that this is not contradicting His promise in the slightest way.  How could someone as faithful as He go back on His word?  No, it is merely a postponement to teach me what I would otherwise be ignorant of forever.  Although my heart shrinks from this indefinite postponement, something within me breaks and I hear myself saying, "I will follow you, Shepherd, you have every right to choose the way that I should go no matter how backwards it seems." 

So we descend.  At first I cannot believe that I am actually, of my own free will, allowing myself to be taken so far away from my greatest dream and desire--the one hope I have clung to for so many years.  Suddenly I realize that we have entered the desert and I am surprise at our speed.  But I should not have been; it cannot be any less when I am relying on my Savior, who knows the way so well.

Once in the desert He leads me to the looming pyramids.  I follow Him inside grateful for His strong reassuring presence.  First He shows me where the wheat is prepared for making bread.  Each grain is bruised and beaten.  However, I find that they are not beaten forever.  As I watch more closely I am surprised to find that each variety of grain is ground in different methods according to its purpose.  Turning to me my Lord says, "in the same way you will not endure hardship and beatings forever, only for a time so that you can fulfill My highest purpose for your life.  And, just as each grain is ground in its own way so your beatings are not random, but specific because I know the things you need to be prepared for."

Entering another room my eyes fall upon a potter.  In his hands is a lump of clay.  I watch him cut it, knead it and finally shape it.  But as I am transfixed on the clever transformation I notice that the, now clay vessel was molded according to the potters desires, not the clay's whims.  "Can I not do with you as this potter does to this clay?"  My Lord asks placing His strong hand on my shoulder.  "Am I not as skilled as this craftsmen?" 

Gently leaning against His side I nod.  Words cannot express my welling emotions and swirling thoughts.  Besides, if I open my mouth I am likely to cry and who knows when I will be able to regain my composure.

My tour is not completed yet.  Opening the door for me, my Lord leads me into a large glowing room illuminated by a furnace.  Here gold is purified and dross is removed, but that is not all.  As I watch, crusty rough and seemingly invaluable stones are thrust into the scorching flames.  Awestruck I find that they are removed as sparkling precious gems, flashing as though they had received the fire into their souls.  How my heart pounds to be like those ugly rocks, transformed by intense fire. 

Interrupting my thoughts I hear His voice, "this is where I purify and prepare My rarest and most precious jewels."  And He leads me out.

Our pace is slow and thoughtful.  There is nothing to break the silence between us except the wind which stirs up and occasional flurry of sand as proof of its existence. Still I cannot see a horizon or any promise that this desert detour will somehow lead me to the hoped for promise, but my heart has become peaceful and content here.  I cannot endure indefinite postponement, beatings and bruising, cuttings and kneading, chiseling and fire unless there is hope for something better.  Surprisingly, that is the exact mystery which my Lord has revealed to me in this desolate desert—my heart is ready to follow.

My Lord enters the tent and I linger outside.  Although ready to follow my heart is still a swirl of emotions and thoughts as vast and tumultuous as a stormy sea.  Walking around the tent I catch the slightest glimpse of a color.  As I kneel I feel the warm sand scatter beneath me creating perfectly shaped cups for my knees.  Brightly and courageously stands a single flower.  I marvel at her willingness to live in such a place where there is no assurance of the next rain, yet she cheerfully stands confident that the One who planted her here will provide whatever she needs in due time. 

Acceptance with Joy is her name.  Sitting back on my heels I sigh and look up to the sky.  Tears travel down my face and a gentle breeze hits plays with my hair.  Can I not be as this flower, Acceptance with Joy?  Who am I to think that my Savior, my Shepherd and my Lord does not know what He is doing.  If the flower can bloom so joyfully and faithfully with no hope of rain, can I not delight in this desert while walking through it with my Shepherd?   Resolving to become Acceptance with Joy, I bend forward and take in the scent of this rare flower which has given me so much hope, etching its memory in my mind.

Ducking beneath the flaps of the tent I glimpse my Lord sitting but looking as if He had been watching and waiting for me.  I sit down close to Him amongst His pile blankets and pillows.  Meekly I begin, placing my hand on His great big one and looking up into His face, "I will trust You my Lord.  I will follow You.  Lead me where You would have me go as long as You choose.  I love You and trust You." 

My eyes begin to glisten as I let go of MY hopes and MY dreams.  I do love and trust Him.  Smiling feebly I finish, "I am Your handmaiden, Acceptance with Joy."

Gently, He reaches out and pulls my head to lie on His shoulder.  All is quiet for a time.  Then in His still small voice He spoke words I will never forget, "The trust in your eyes is the most beautiful thing on earth.  Beholding the trust in your eyes is more beautiful and precious to me than the loveliness of many queens."


I am unsure of what has happened since that time which is probably due to the fact that I am still in the desert and have yet to journey out of it.  But this I know: it is not nearly as desolate now as when I first entered.  Although the desert valley may appear ugly and foreboding to many, it has become a treasure chest to me.  I love being grown and changed by my Lord even when it hurts, because I am confident and secure in the fact that He IS faithful and will not give me more than I can handle.            

4 comments:

  1. This is beautiful, Samantha :)

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  2. This is absolutely one of the most touching pieces of reading material I have ever read. Honestly, it brought me to tears the sincerity and the truthfulness of this blog post. My favorite part that gripped my heart due to its assurance and comfort, is: "in the same way you will not endure hardship and beatings forever, only for a time so that you can fulfill My highest purpose for your life. And, just as each grain is ground in its own way so your beatings are not random, but specific because I know the things you need to be prepared for."

    I cannot explain the comfort I find in that. "Your beatings are NOT random, but specific because I know the things you need to be prepared for." The trials that we go through, are NOT random, but to strengthen us, to prepare us for what is ahead. I am naturally a controlling person, and I struggle with that. I struggle with giving up all control and trusting God completely 100% through a trial. Instead of wholeheartedly trusting God I take into account what the doctors are saying, how the medications are affecting, etc. But throughout the trial,("the hardship and beatings") God has shown me, I can't fix it, only HE can, but I have to TRUST that He can. Throughout this trial, I have learned and am learning to surrender ALL control to my everlasting Father, who is in control of ALL things. To completely trust Him with EVERYTHING; and through that, through my trust in Him, His faithfulness has been shown ever so greatly. I've grown more than what words can describe throughout this trial, "to prepare and grow me for what is ahead". I still have not seen the end of this trail, but I have FULL trust in my Lord, that He will shine His faithfulness, and that He is in control.

    Quote from yourself, "I love being grown and changed by my Lord even when it hurts, because I am confident and secure in the fact that He IS faithful and will not give me more than I can handle."
    I have been grown and changed by my Lord through this trial beyond what words can describe, but I would have never been changed if it wasn't for the hurt I was and am going through. But MY TRUST is in Him.

    All of this to say, your blog post was extremely touching; and that the peace and the assurance of having all your trust in the Lord your God is enriching. I applaud you for your beautiful post and thank you dearly.

    Walking By His Grace,
    Anonymous

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  3. Thank you Caro.
    Dear Anonymous,
    I'm so glad that the Lord blessed you through the post or rather, my journey. Over the past couple months the Lord has been showing me that my story or the things that happen in my life are really not MY story--they are all HIS story. God's story of redemption didn't end at the cross or the empty tomb. That was merely the beginning. Because my struggles and victories are the continuation of God's story of redemption it is my delight and priviliedge to share them with you.
    Know that the Lord is faithful and will continue to be be faithful even when we are faithless--He cannont disown Himself. We are all walking out the plan of God's redemption as we live and each step we take, as our eyes are fixed on Him, brings us closer to His likeness.
    Dancing for God's glory,
    Samantha

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  4. Samantha,
    You couldn't be more right on, our Lord God is faithful, and there is no doubt about it. I have learned and seen so much of HIS faithfulness throughout this journey and it has nonetheless awed me to my core. Thank you again for sharing God's story throughout your life.
    Anonymous

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