This year, again, three of us attended and had such a good time. Good music, wonderful breakout sessions, and an excellent featured speaker.
Speaker Debbie's Stuart's message still resonates with me today as she explained a "time in the wilderness," a time not meant as punishment, though, a time meant for growth.
As I ponder on my last few years in my career, this expression "time in the wilderness" so explains it, yet what a different perspective when I remove the punishment factor. I like this statement from the Word of God website...as Jim Gerrish explains,
In Hebrew, the word for wilderness is midbar. It is surely interesting that the root ofmidbar has the meaning of “speak” or “word.” God speaks to us in the wilderness. God also humbles and proves us in the wilderness (Deut. 8:2). The wilderness period can last days, or years, depending on how quickly we learn its lessons.
I have said many times that going this "wilderness" was the only way in which I could have learned lessons, ones by experiencing them. Spouting words of wisdom can come quite easily and sound so sympathetic. Words of experience, though, come through the voice of empathy. When I look back, I had several lessons in humility that had to be experienced. May I say? Humility is a hard lesson!
I have also learned I am a slow learner! How long do the wilderness experiences last? Times vary...remember Abraham? David? Elijah? Jesus? They last as long as it takes.
Isn't the experience more durable, though, when viewed not as a punishment. A time of spiritual growth. A precious time. (Just so you know...I have only been able to call it these nicer names in the last year or so! Let's face it...those times are hard.) But...such growth does occur.
Been to, in, through a wilderness? Have you come out of the wilderness? Yes, you are about to have a growth spurt...a spiritual growth spurt!
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