I have had some stories from some friends, who go through a season of dryness, and feel that their life is bereft of meaning, value or significance.
When I look at the picture of a tree in winter, without leaves or fruits, I remember the recent conversation I have had with some of them.
In places where there are four seasons, the winter months make trees look bare, but they come alive at the beginning of the spring with leaves and blossoms.
The 'desert' experience, that some of us go through might be similar to the experience of trees in the winter months.
What might be this desert experience! When we feel low because of a disappointment or misunderstanding or sense of failure, or unreasonable demands and expectations or opposition or rejection, some of us feel cornered or helpless. That is the beginning of slipping into self doubt or feeling overcome by anxiety, unless is able to see it just a season which is transient.!
Usually on such occasions we are challenged emotionally and intuitively!
Such times ought to lead us to to be silent and vigilant.
It is when we protect ourselves from being impulsive and reactive, the season of an apparent helplessness or a desert experience can bring a new orientation to act wisely and redemptievly.
A friend told me how he did not get his promotion on time as the two research work he did were published by his head of the department making him as the fourth author, which did not qualify him to be considered for the promotion. He went through a desert experience as he was made to go through that experience much against his legitimate claim to be first or second or at least the third author, as he did the work and prepared the paper for publication.
To the surprise of all, a grant he applied for a research work came through at that time. He was able to publish four papers through that work, two of which in reputed journals. He received the promotion with retrospective effect including the enhanced salary due to him, from the time he was eligible to be promoted. This person became the secretary of the institutional research committee in the institution. During his term of office he formulated, a section in the initial research application, which would list the name of the authors in the order, they are involved in the research, ending the high handedness of the seniors in the department by denying the person who was eligible to be the first or second author. His 'desert experience' of waiting for the promotion for three years, made him thoughtful towards others and put in place a system that would protect younger professionals from being denied their right.
Each of us going through an apparently 'dry' spell in our lives contrary to what we would have hoped for ourselves, need to recognise the value of desert experience as seminal and transformative! Do not look at it as a barren season, but but as a season of 'creative denial', a prelude to something that would have greater meaning!
Many followers of Jesus of Nazareth go through this season of 'lent' to get ready for the Holy Week, when we take time to remember the last events in the life of Jesus leading his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection.
The story of the trial and crucifixion stands out as a most unreasonable event in history. Yet it was through that 'self-giving', by Jesus of Nazareth, He restored the way for human kind to find God and His grace of presence in our troubled lives! Through that agonising experience of suffering and humiliation, Jesus opened the door towards peace and hope! He endured a desert experience because he had a vision of what was to follow!
No desert experience is an end in itself, but only a means to take us further into a larger purpose of meaning for ourselves and others!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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