“The absence of God’s love makes us like a dry desert land without water, and thus we treat our neighbors harshly, fearing we have no love to spare.” ~ Guy Consolmagno
The droughts, times with little rain and scorching hot days, leave us feeling empty and anxious. Lake levels drop, plants wither and die, animals venture out in search of anything to quench their thirst. An uneasy quiet settles over the land. We endured a seven year drought in the Upstate of South Carolina not long ago. It was pretty uncomfortable. People became testy and on edge as everything outside seemed to deteriorate. At one point, the flooded river valley which has become Lake Hartwell dropped so low that old roads appeared which had been under water for decades. Recreation and tourism slowed and almost halted. Two years ago the welcomed rain began to come. Over time, everything was restored and the beauty of the area returned. We have even started to forget how desolate it was.
Emotional and spiritual droughts have strikingly similar effects on our insides. Emptiness and anxiety leave us feeling dry and forsaken. God seems to have abandoned us. When this happens, we withdraw and isolate. The love we have seems to dry up and we hoard whatever is left for fear of losing even the most essential elements of affection. Unlike the droughts of nature however, desert times of the soul and spirit are more misconception than fact. Hard times are no delusion, but the sense of abandonment and loss of God’s love is only an illusion. It is as abundant as when everything in life was going well. We are promised this without exception. We are never alone. We are never ignored. We are never without resource. There is an endless underground spring of hope that will fill our hearts in time. The healing waters will return. My friend, Bill Scott used to remind me that ‘Things come to pass…not to stay’. We can be assured of that. There will even come a time when the drought is a distant memory. Life is always wonderful…even when it seems otherwise.
Robert Kenneth Jones is an innovator in the treatment of addiction and childhood abuse.
In a career spanning over four decades, his work helping people recover from childhood abuse and addiction has earned him the respect of his peers.
His blog, An Elephant for Breakfast, testifies to the power of the human spirit to overcome the worst of life’s difficulties. We encourage you to visit and share this rich source of healing, inspiration and meditation.
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Bob Jones’ blog An Elephant for Breakfast