Hope When Life Feels Barren: What Desert Flowers Can Teach Us

Posted on Mar 02, 2023 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Bonnie Gray

I’ve always wanted to go to the desert and see the wildflowers bloom.

I read in an article that once a year wildflowers bloom in the desert. So one year for spring break, I convinced Eric and our two boys to go climb rocks in Joshua Tree National Park. I sealed the deal by saying, “We’ll even go on a jeep tour!” We packed our bags and drove down to Palm Springs from the Silicon Valley Bay Area for the first time.

But when I called to book the jeep tour, the company told me no one knew exactly when flowers bloom in the desert. “We only know they bloom sometime between March and May,” they said.

I learned that depending on the conditions of the land and weather, the timing varies every year. Still, I booked the trip, praying God would allow us to see the wildflowers.

As my family and I zoomed out into the desert later that week, nothing but dirt, rocks, and shrubs dotted the landscape. I felt so let down as our open-air jeep jostled us across the desert plains.

“I thought we were going to see wildflowers,” my boys said, looking around like bright-eyed prairie dogs.

I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess not,” I shouted above the squeaky jeep ride.

To my surprise, just 30 minutes later, our guide stopped by the roadside and walked us over to some plants. “Wildflowers bloom here because they tell us something important is up ahead,” he said, with a sparkle in his eyes underneath his sun hat.

He pointed up ahead to a cluster of palm trees in the distance. An oasis! Streams were running underneath the ground we stood on, and the wildflower plants were drawing water from deep within the desert.

I didn’t know flowers could blossom like that in the desert because nothing along the way told me anything beautiful could emerge from dry wilderness. Yet underneath the barren desert floor where I could not see, life-giving water was flowing.

Are you standing in a wilderness of your own—in a desert of stress where peace and joy look just beyond reach? Do you feel overwhelmed, surrounded by questions and problems? Are you losing hope that beauty will show up along the way?

Stress can make us feel overwhelmed, especially when we don’t even realize we are depleted until we suddenly hit the wall. You’re going to be okay. Because no matter how dry or barren your life feels right now, it’s never too late to find joy. God’s love and peace is an oasis we can run to, return to, and be refilled by, no matter how hopeless things appear.

As I stood in the middle of an oasis of lush palm trees, marveling at the pool of water flowing out of the ground, I felt an overwhelming peace. My heart was refreshed with joy as I began recalling Scriptures that flowed out life-giving truth from a place barren of hope.

Nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37 ESV).

The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail (Isaiah 58:11 BSB).

Joy will blossom again in you because God makes beautiful things come alive in you. You are his beloved daughter, and he knows just what you need.

God’s love and peace is an oasis we can run to, return to, and be refilled by, no matter how hopeless things appear.

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