New Year Renewal | When the Rain Comes, the Desert Blooms

The Atacama Desert, Chile by Laura McWhinnie

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. ... Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come ... He will come to save you."  + Isaiah 35:1, 3-4

Due to the generosity of my friend, Greg Johnson with Revive New England, sending me this video of Jon Tyson at Exponential (he also shared this message at the first "In Our Time" even in Providence on March 15, 2023), I am left in awe of an image above and an image below that showcase the curious and wonder-filled planning, creativity, and beauty of the Creator God who brings life in desert spaces.

At initial glance, it would seem like the picture above is just a person in a dry desert. For those that read this blog, the theme of waiting in desert spaces has been a recurring topic the last few years for me. I have been learning from Marlena Graves, A.J. Swoboda, Mandy Smith, Paul Pastor, Thomas Merton, Andrew Peterson, and more what it means to trust the Spirit of God who not only leads us into wastelands, but reveals what we have missed during first glances as He unveils His abundance where there's seemingly nothing. 

So join with me in looking at the image above again. The Atacama Desert in Chile is the world's driest desert. And yet, there is the potential of flowers buried deep beneath the sand. As one scientific publisher records, "Some weather stations in the highlands have never recorded rain, and flowers bloom only rarely here – usually only every five to seven years, when dormant seeds awaken."

Wait. Check that again. "Flowers bloom rarely in the driest desert." Yes, there are still flowers that bloom there. And they're stunning. Now look at the image below of the same desert. Tyson highlights how this phenomenon happens at the end of his 20-minute message, "God Comes Where He's wanted." I encourage you to listen to the recording and then soak in the image of spectacular purple blossoms bursting forth all over the driest place on earth. 

What may look dry and dead, whether it be a place or a community of people, may just be dormant, ready to spring forth with life at the first drop of rain.

God comes where He's wanted. 

Hunger is what He's drawn to (James 4:7-8). 

And when His rain comes, the desert blooms.

When all it looks like is desert, there is still life. 

When the rain comes, what takes a decade happens in a day.  

 

AnOther: How the Atacama Desert Has Been Painted Pink with Flowers

Faith to Proclaim Provision When All You See is Scarcity

It takes faith to cast a vision of something you haven’t yet seen, so that the vision might become a reality for all to see, including yourself.

It takes faith to say “God is good” when you feel like giving up.

It takes faith to rest when you want to look (and feel) productive and efficient.

It takes faith to stay when your survival instincts say, “Get me out of here!”

It takes faith not to take things personally when they feel so personal.

It takes faith to proclaim that God can heal when all you see is brokenness.

It takes faith to proclaim provision when all you see is scarcity.

It takes faith to pay attention to the still, small voice within more than the clamoring calls for clarity around you (some of which are the noise within your own mind).

Whether or not we like it, we find ourselves pioneers, at a crucial time. It may feel like disruption, but future generations will look back on this as a time that shaped their present. The Church they know will be possible in part because of our courage, our perseverance, and our daily watching for God—in short, our faith (small though it may seem).

+ Mandy Smith

"We're All Pioneers Now"

God comes where He's wanted ... 

God,

We want You in our hearts.

We want You in our homes.

We want You in Your Church.

We want You in our region.

In Our Time: A Movement of Prayer & Worship for Revival in New England

Next post:

The Art of Other Seeing

Thirsty to read a little more? 

Bonus posts on waiting curiously and blossoming in desert spaces: 

+ Seeds of Hope in the Rain & the Dark  

+ Unfettered in Seemingly Small Things  

+ Way of the Desert to Form a Soul  

+ Wild Wanderings in the Desert Spaces  

+ The Wind of the Wilderness

May God's Kingdom come, His will be done.
Que le Royaume de Dieu vienne,
que sa volonté soit faite.
愿神的国降临，愿神的旨意成就。
Nguyện xin Nước Chúa đến, ý Ngài được nên.
Jesús nuestra Rey, venga Tu reino!
🙏💗🍞🍷👑🌅🌇

With presence, peace, and many blessings,

Rev. Mike “Sully” Sullivan

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