Waiting for the Blooming

I come to Tucson fairly often- my brother and his lovely wife live here and are generous with their lives and home.  And I've always want to see the desert bloom.  In 2013 it snowed and while that was lovely in its own way, it wasn't the same as the fields of deserts flowers shown in the Arizona Highways magazine.  Everyone says, "You just can't know for sure, depends on water and temperature." The short season of desert bloom is like a southwest secret and you just have to be here at the right time and place.  So far I haven't.

I'm using a wonderful Lent prayer guide from Way Makers-  http://waymakers.org/pray/   One of this week's examples for praying for my "city" is based on Ezekiel 37 and the valley of dry bones in the Old Testament. Here's a pretty dramatic video of an interpretation of the text of Ezekiel.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dafYxu8cQQ

In the dry desert, I long for water.
Water is the sound of life to me. 

Written in my prayer guide—"We pray today for those who are physically alive but are spiritually dead. Breathe life into them, as You did at creation. Infuse them with Your Spirit. As Ezekiel did so long ago, we declare our prayer: "Come to life!"... Resuscitate... Renew... Surprise... Raise up great throngs of people throughout out the earth to stand before You, filled with life and eager to serve."

Resuscitate means re-awaken.  

 As I eagerly watch the desert for its re-awakening, its blooming;

 I also see Lent as a season of our re-awakening, 

through Christ's re-awakening, 

through His Resurrection.  

We watch for signs of spring, 

we wait for the Spirit to breathe His renewing life again and again.  

  

 And sometimes we are surprised. 

For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, 

So the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom

 and puts praise on display before the nations.   Isaiah 61:10-11 The Message







For now we wait, in the dark.  I may miss the full blooming of the desert- again.  Or I may be surprised.  But we can know with the assurance of those who believe—Lent leads to Easter, and Easter leads to the Resurrection, and Resurrection leads to life, again and again and again.

Resuscitate... Renew... Surprise... 

Raise up great throngs of people throughout out the earth to stand before You, filled with life.