THE BARREN PLACE
SHE WAS HOT. SHE WAS TIRED. HER THROAT FELT LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE. HER THIRST WAS SO GREAT BUT AS SHE SWALLOWED THE ONLY COATING WAS THE DUST AND SAND SHE HAD BEEN TREADING ON FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS. SHE COULD FEEL THE TEARS THAT WANTED TO FORM IN HER EYES BUT SHE HAD NO MORE MOISTURE IN HER BODY TO FORM THEM. THE SUMMIT OF THE HILL SHE WAS CURRENTLY CLIMBING WAS IN HER VISION BUT IT WAS NOT IN HER ENDURANCE. SHE SLUMPED DOWN INTO THE DRY RED DUST HILL. HER HEART HAD GIVEN UP HOPE. AND BECAUSE HOPE HAD BEEN DEPLETED STRENGTH TO CARRY ON HAD BEEN DEPLETED. SHE LOOKED AROUND AT THE SCENERY BEFORE HER. NOTHINGNESS. RED SAND. DRY DUSTY HILLS. NOTHING GREEN. EVEN THE SKY AROUND HER HAD THAT RED SAND HUE. SHE CHOSE NOT TO EVEN LOOK UP FOR SHE KNEW SHE WOULD NOT FIND ANY BLUE. SHE HAD BEEN IN THE DESERT TO LONG. AND NOW SHE COULD HEAR THE FAINT BEGINNINGS OF ANOTHER DUST STORM BREWING. SOON THIS WASTELAND WILL BE HOWLING AND THE SAND WILL BECOME A GREAT WALL SHE KNEW SHE COULD NEVER OVERCOME.
SO SHE FAINTED INTO THE EARTH TO DO WHAT SHE ALWAYS DID. SHE HAD A PITY PARTY. SHE CRIED OUT TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE, THOUGH HER SHOUT WAS ONLY A MERE WHISPER BECAUSE HER THROAT WAS SO PARCHED. “DO YOU HEAR ME ANYMORE GOD.” HER THOUGHTS WERE RAGING AS SHE TRIED TO SCREAM. “IT IS YOUR FAULT I AM HERE IS THIS WASTELAND.” “WHY DO YOU NOT SEE ME.” SHE CALLED OUT TO GOD. SHE CALLED OUT TO THE LORD WHOM SHE ASSUMED HAD LEFT HERE IN THE DRY AND BARREN PLACE. SHE WAS DEPRESSED. SHE WAS GLOOMY. HER WORLD HAD COLLAPSED AROUND HER LIKE A SAND CASTLE WOULD IN THIS HOWLING DESERT STORM. SHE FAULTED GOD. AND SHE BLAMED HIM FOR HER PAIN. HER BODY ACHED, HER HEART WAS SICK. AND HER FAITH WAS PUNY. SHE KNEW SHE WAS SINKING IN THIS QUICKSAND.
THE LORD GOD HEARD HER PRAYER. HE HAD SEEN HER EVERY FOOTPRINT SHE HAD LEFT IN THE SAND. “SHE ASSUMES WRONGLY,” HE TOLD HIS SON. “SHE HAS CHOSEN NOT TO LOOK UP,” THE SON REPLIED BACK. THE FATHER AND SON ALWAYS SHARED THE SAME THOUGHT PROCESS FOR THAT IS THEIR RELATIONSHIP. THEY ARE BOUND TO EACH OTHER’S MIND AND HEART. “WHEN WILL YOU REVEAL YOURSELF TO HER.” THE SON ASKED THE FATHER. THE SON KNEW AND TRUSTED THE FATHER’S WISDOM AND TIMING IN ALL THINGS. THOUGH HE ALSO COULD FEEL THE GIRL’S PAIN IN THE WASTELAND, HE KNEW HIS FATHER WOULD MAKE HIMSELF KNOWN TO HER AT THE PERFECT TIME. HE KNEW HIS FATHER WAS NEVER TOO LATE AND NEVER TOO EARLY.
AS THE DEPLETED GIRL SLUNK INTO THE SAND, THE FATHER TOLD THE SON, “NOW IS THE TIME. IN HER DEPLETION SHE WILL SEE HER GREAT NEED OF DEPENDENCE ON ME.” SO HE SENT THE SON AS EL ROI, THE LIVING ONE WHO SEES HER, TO HER.
EL ROI TOUCHED HER SHOULDER AND STOOD HER TO HER FEET. HE INFUSED HER WITH STRENGTH TO STAND. HE SPOKE TO HER. “I HAVE FOUND YOU IN THIS DESERT LAND. THIS IS AN EMPTY HOWLING WASTELAND THAT YOU HAVE FOUND YOURSELF IN BECAUSE THE ROAD OF YOUR OWN CHOOSING LED YOU HERE TO THE BARRENNESS. I AM EL ROI. I AM THE LIVING ONE WHO SEES YOUR EVERY FOOTPRINT. I HAVE ALWAYS SURROUNDED YOU. I HAVE ALWAYS WATCHED OVER YOU. I HAVE BEEN GUARDING YOU AS I WOULD MY OWN EYES. YOU JUST COULD NOT RECOGNIZE MY PRESENCE BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN CHOOSING TO FOCUS ON YOUR ENVIRONMENT. YOU HAVE BEEN STARING AT THE RED DUST SO LONG THAT IS ALL YOUR MIND HAS CHOSEN TO SEE. YOU FEAR THE DUST STORM COMING BECAUSE YOU REFUSE TO LOOK TO THE HILLS WHERE YOU HELP COMES FROM. IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO LOOK AT ME. GET YOUR FOCUS OFF THE DISTURBANCES OF THIS WASTELAND AND FOCUS ON ME.”
THE GIRL LOOKED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME AT EL ROI. SHE LOOKED DEEPLY IN HIS EYES. SHE SAW HIS WATCHFULNESS. SHE SAW HIM AS HE HAD PROTECTED HER IN THIS BARREN DESERT. AND SHE SAW HIS GREAT MERCY AND GREAT LOVE FOR HER.
ONCE EL ROI KNEW HE HAD HER FULL UNDIVIDED ATTENTION, HE THEN ASKED HER, “NOW LOOK AROUND, WHAT DO YOU SEE?” SHE LOOKED AND RIGHT TO THE EAST OF HER SEE SAW THE OASIS. WATER SO BLUE AND CLEAR IT REFLECTED THE SKY. NO LONGER WAS THE SKIED PAINTED RED FROM THE DIRT BUT IT WAS BLUE FILLED WITH BILLOWY WHITE CLOUDS. AND THERE BESIDE THE CRYSTAL BLUE WATER WAS A POMEGRANATE TREE AND A DATE TREE. THERE WAS SUSTENANCE. IT HAD BEEN DAYS SINCE SHE HAD EATEN OR TAKEN A DRINK. “WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? DID YOU JUST PUT IT THERE?” SHE ASKED EL ROI. HE REPLIED, “NO, IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN THERE. YOU JUST COULDN’T SEE IT BECAUSE YOU WERE BLINDED BY THE WASTELAND YOU KEPT IN YOUR VISION.
SHE VOWED THAT MOMENT TO SHIFT HER GAZE. SHE ALTERED HER THOUGHTS, SHE SHIFTED HER ATTENTION. SHE TURNED HER EYES FROM THE DUST STORM BREWING. AND SHE RECITED, “BUT THIS I CALL TO MIND, AND THEREFORE I HAVE HOPE. THE STEADFAST LOVE OF THE LORD NEVER CEASES. HIS MERCIES NEVER COME TO AN END. THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS. THE LORD IS MY PORTIONG, SAYS MY SOUL. THERE FORE I WILL HOPE IN HIM.” LAMENTATIONS 3:21-24
EL ROI CARRIED HER TO THE OASIS. WHAT SHE FOUND WAITING FOR HER SURPRISED HER. AND SHE KNEW IT WAS JUST ONE MORE GIFT THE LORD WAS GIVING HER THIS DAY. KELLYE FOUND HER WHOLE FAMILY DRINKING AND EATING AND LAUGHING AROUND THE CRYSTAL SEA. FOR YOU SEE EACH PERSON IN THE FAMILY HAD TAKEN THEIR OWN SEPARATE ROADS THROUGH THE WASTELAND, BUT GOD WAS BEHIND IT ALL. WATCHING OVER THEM.. ALLOWING THEIR DESERT JOURNEY OF THEIR OWN CHOOSING. HE HAD NEVER ABANDONED THEM. HE WAS ALWAYS GUIDING THEM. AND HE LED EACH OF THEM TO THIS SPECIFIC PLACE AT THIS SPECIFIC TIME FOR THIS SPECIFIC TEACHING. HE WAS EL ROI. AND THE FAMILY NAMED THIS OASIS, “BEEF-LAHAI-ROI,” WHICH MEANS “THE WELL OF THE LIVING ONE WHO SEES ME”
“SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED” LUKE 12:31