By: Iyo_Embong

A lot of people are going through a financial “desert” these days due to the global recession.

One thing sure, the desert is not the place for desserts. The desert is about survival, endurance and stamina. The best and the worst in us come out in the desert, and we also come out either better or worse from any desert experience. The desert makes us realize what is really important and what is really basic in life. Anyone who has not gone through any desert does not know life at all, for life is definitely not about being comfortable, predictable, frivolous, fainthearted and superficial.

We are very vulnerable in the desert where we are exposed to the external elements. But surprisingly, we also discover out there that we have a lot of reserved strength within. Most important, we discover in our littleness and vulnerability the presence and the power of something or someone greater than ourselves. Yes, a stay in the desert has a value. One cannot rush through, and need not flee from, the desert; for in the desert, one learns to let go and to let God. In the desert, once again, we know who we are, and we know who God is. In the desert – there is desolation but, also, there is consolation.

One basic rule when we go through the desert, and that is, to travel light. We should carry only what is essential for the journey, and to rid ourselves of extra luggage, which are not necessary but will, in fact, only make the journey difficult and cumbersome. Through prayer, fasting and good deeds, will lead us to dispose of our unnecessary physical, emotional and spiritual baggage.

Moses spent 40 years leading the Israelites through the desert toward the Promised Land. How many years have we been led (or misled) by our self-proclaimed “Moseses” toward a better World? Our leaders could learn a lesson or two from Moses. First, he was a man with a vision, God’s vision. He always consulted with God and carried out whatever God commanded. Second, he was a man with a mission. He was ready to sacrifice for the sake of the people. He was a‘leader’, not a ‘dealer’, of the people.

Moses did not desert his people in the desert. He stayed with them! He did not leave them especially in their darkest and most trying moments. A leader who is almost always away, and who makes outside trips at every possible occasion or for whatever reason, is not really at home nor at heart with his/her people.

There are people who make deserts for other people. These are the people who, out of selfishness and greed, appropriate for themselves what rightfully belongs to the people. These desert-makers pass through life with not much care for people, institutions or traditions, and leave behind so much waste and garbage, not to mention hurts and broken dreams. They leave behind not their footprints but their “droppings” (for a milder word) on the sand! The sooner they are gone, the better. Life is hard enough. We don’t need people who make life harder for us.

On the other hand, there are desert-breakers. These are the people who give comfort and extend help and hospitality to the weary travelers who come their way. They leave behind not only their footprints but their “heartprints” as well in the sand. May they live long, and may their tribe increase. Life is hard. We need people who make life less hard for us.

Question: Are you a desert-maker or a desert-breaker?

“In the desert you can remember your name
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain” – America

By: Iyo_Embong 2012©Copyright. Any distribution, reproduction or copying of any part of this article is forbidden. If you wish to use this article please only use the first 2-3 lines as an excerpt and link back directly to the article along with the Authors name.