I have been focusing, in my Sunday Reflections, on travel (bicycle, snow-shoes, motorcycle, auto, plane, train, RV) and the connection to the more subtle spiritual life journey. I know motorcyclists who must ride, walkers who must walk, paddlers who must paddle, travelers who must board a plane, others who take off in the RV. Backpackers, cyclists, mountain climbers, ocean-crossers, pilgrimage people! Many admit that they feel a spiritual pull to take part in these activities; for them, travel and spiritual seeking are interconnected. Wandering is a spiritual necessity that brings balance and peace.  I find my spiritual self and God outdoors and so off I go, repeatedly. Seeking, searching, resting.

Sometimes we get lost and need to pull out maps, GPS, and common sense to reorient. Other times, we are emotionally/spiritually lost and languish in what many people call “wilderness time.” This is a stressful place full of drama and trauma that we land in because of our own behaviors. Spiritually immature behaviors.  Spiritual wilderness is not necessarily the result of losing a loved one or leaving a job. It is the result of the messes and chaos that we create on our own.

Everyone is invited into wilderness time, from the richest and most successful to the pauper. No one is exempt because none of us are perfect.  To name a few faults, we are selfish, mean-spirited, and judgmental. That is where wilderness time comes in. It is sometimes like walking through quicksand. Wilderness time is painful but it is there we learn and grow. Ironically we must pass through the wilderness of self-discovery to find happiness. We also need to understand, that to be who we were meant to be and live into all our gifts, we must learn to rely on divine power to get through.

So, as dreaded as wilderness time feels, no one should try to avoid it. Enter in. Let go. Do not cross your stubborn arms and try to deny where God leads you. Don’t give up and live in bitterness or with blinders on.  Listen. Plod through it. Ask for directions, rely on the divine to show the way. It is our own actions and behaviors that lead us out, back to the main road.

Exiting the wilderness is evidenced by renewed peace, joy, a new outlook, new energy. Some people have ah-ha moments or epiphanies. I have seen folks say, I am not going to live this way anymore, and they don’t. In the mainstream, it is called growing up and/or maturing.

If you are familiar with the Exodus story, you know that Moses led his people out of captivity in Egypt and then on a journey to the promised land. However, along the way they disobeyed God and ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years after nearly arriving.  It was disheartening, but the journey produced a generation of God-focused Israelites who finally crossed the Jordan River and entered the promised land. They weathered the wilderness, learned why God held them back, repented, and moved on.

Is the concept of a wilderness experience in other faith traditions? The story of Moses—and much of the Old Testament—is included in the Koran. In fact, in Islam, Moses is a revered prophet, like Jesus and Mohammed. The Exodus story –including the wilderness journey—is well known to them. Also, Muslim people trace their genetic roots to Abraham, just like Jewish people. Have you read the story about Abraham conceiving with Hagar, the slave girl? Sara, Abrahams wife, cast out both Hagar and her son, Ishmael. They too wandered in the desert for a time, relying on God’s provision. According to Arabic tradition, Ishmael, after his wilderness experience, started their lineage.

I mentioned that our own actions and choices will guide us out of wilderness experiences and listed some general tips, including relying on the divine. However, scripture, movies, books and other sources offer more concrete examples, which I will focus on next time when I write about Passing Through the Wilderness.

Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness before starting his ministry.

copyright Jane Willis 2016

Sunday Reflections are filed under Back Roads Faith on the Main Menu