Freedom in the Wilderness
SARAH DYER
Lent often begins with the symbol of ashes placed on the forehead in a cross with the statement,
"Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return."
This reminder attests to our humanity and the reality of our impermanence
Dust evokes imagery of the desert
Desert often is a vast wilderness
We may fear the wilderness or avoid the wilderness
Consider embracing the wilderness
A place to question, to deconstruct, to wander and wonder, find self and find God
Wilderness may bring isolation, as COVID has forced for many
Isolation may be enticing for those burnt out by the pandemic
Wilderness can be a space to slow down, to revisit gratitude
I imagine the wilderness as a liberating place
I can scream and yell without disturbing
I can unashamedly weep and moan about loss and death
I can be a raging "hulk" as my daughter describes when everything collides
I can strip down layers of learned behavior, expectations, shields of emotional protection
I can begin anew
As I continue to wander in the wilderness this Lenten season, I dare you to join me. May the Spirit push us out into the wild
Mark 1:12-13 At once, this same Spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by Satan. Wild animals were his companions, and angels took care of him.
Do I Dare???
to step into the unknown
to leave the comfort of home and family
to be alone with myself, my thoughts
to feel emotions tidily boxed away by busyness
to be free
to be me
fearfully and wonderfully made
full of grief, anger, apathy, hope, love and joy
to turn off distractions
to let go
to fly
to fall
to walk without destination
to sit and listen
to move
FAST and with intention
FLEEING in fear
SLOW and hesitant
to be hungry for fullness
to thirst for pure life
to be stripped of certainty
IF you dare....
Step with me into the desert
Feel the hot sand and scorching sun
Hear the ravaging vultures circling overhead
Taste the salt of sweat dripping down
See the emptiness for miles
Close your eyes as you sit under the broken shade
Smell the death that surrounds you
Now, settle your thoughts
Sense the beat of your heart
And come home to your WILDERNESS.
Sarah is an enneanerd 9. She is a doctor of physical therapy by day and “she-Hulk” by night per her children, Lilly (8) and AJ (4). She enjoys all things coffee and chocolate.