Flowers in the Desert

Isaiah 35:1-2 - The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower…They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

The Atacama Desert stretches 600 miles along the western coast of Chile.  It is 50 times drier than Death Valley.  Every few years there is a super bloom, where purple, red and yellow flora spring forth from the floor.  An entire ecosystem of birds, insects and microorganisms depend on them.  The carpet of blooms is rare, often making headlines in nature journals and social media posts.

Generosity is a bit like that.  It’s like flowers emerging from a dry hard place.  In Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, Henri Nouwen writes, “Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life...all of our life.”

A little further in Isaiah, chapter 40: 3 – 4 says, “Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!  Fill the valleys, and level the mountains and hills.” 

This makes reference to a work started by John the Baptist to bring Christ’s love to the world.  It’s a work that isn’t finished.  We are invited to remove stones and fill holes to continue building this road.   We get to participate in roadbuilding by removing the stumbling blocks of injustice, filling holes where there is lack, and making a way for those that are often excluded.

Having a generous spirit starts with awareness.  Today I invite you to listen to people’s stories and understand their challenges.  Through that connection you start to “fill the valleys, and level the mountains” to make a road we can all walk on together.  As we do the beauty of God’s love will be revealed like a rare super bloom in the Atacama Desert.

-Mitzi Myers