Desperately Seeking Water

I was hiking once in Valley of Fire State Park just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. I was on the trail headed for Mouse's Tank, alone, just me and a couple of cameras.

I am from the east coast, not too far from the Atlantic Ocean. I do not understand deserts. I am fascinated by their size, color, and extreme changes in climate that can happen all of a sudden.

The trail was beautiful. Canyon walls on both sides, Native American petroglyphs all around, small bushy succulents and cacti everywhere. I was about 3/4 mile into the canyon when it started to rain. Rain in the desert! What a neat thing to see. I found some shelter under a rock overhang so I could enjoy this "seemingly rare" occurrence. Not understanding deserts, or canyons, I did not realize that, 1.water does not absorb into the ground and 2. the canyon is a canyon because when it does rain, all of the water coming off the mountains runs through here.

It wasn't long before the small trickle of water in the previously dry canyon had swelled to a fast moving river about 4 feet wide by 2 feet deep. I was trapped in the canyon. Deciding it was time to get out before it got worse, I grossly underestimated the speed of the moving water and attempted to step into the stream to get across to land I could walk on. Bad move. My legs were swept out from under me and I was being pushed deeper into the canyon. I had two thoughts; my cameras are ruined, and I am going to die here.

Of course, I was able to roll out of the water onto higher ground and the threat of death was removed but I did loose my cameras (thankfully not my memory card so I have pics to remember). I was bloodied, pants torn and looking like a survivor of some tragic event, but I was alive. I began to walk toward the mouth of the canyon. It had stopped raining but the water was still flowing and looked to do so for a while.

The moment it stopped raining, hundreds of small flying gnats came out followed by bats and a large community of lizards. The lizards were looking at me like "you know, you really shouldn't be here right now". Even they knew I should have been smart enought to get out when the rain started.

I got to within 100 feet of the main road when I reached a spot too wide and too fast to cross. It looked as if I would have to sit and wait for the flood waters to subside and I could go no further until they did.
Some people drove up on the road, saw me trapped and stopped their car. They came as close as they could get to me, about 10 feet, and asked me if I was OK. I let them know that I was not hurt beyond some scratches and bruises. They then asked me the strangest question; "Do you need any water?". I was surrounded by water. A rope maybe, a board to walk across to safety certainly, but water? Water was the last thing I needed. Now, they were actually asking me about drinking water since they had no idea how long I had been trapped there but in that instant I remember thinking that I had enough water to satisfy me and needed nothing but a way across. They left, as there was nothing they could do for me.

Then I got thirsty.

I was so focused on survival and self reliance that I passed up the water that I truly needed. I saw so much other water all around that it never occurred to me that it is undrinkable and would not be what I needed to satisfy my thirst. I wish that I had been smart enough, or blessed enough to realize what I was thirsty for when it was offered.

My spiritual journey has been much the same. I spent many years wandering around, seeing "water" everywhere but never being able to quench my thirst with it. To beat a metaphor to death, it was actually drowning me, pulling me deeper and deeper into the desert.

How incredibly blessed was I on the day I realized that the water I thirst for comes from right relationship with the Universe and others. It was as if once I knew what I was hungry and thirsty for, only then could I begin to seek to be filled. Once I was able to identify my fruitless quest for satisfaction through things, people, money, addictions, etc. and accept that what I longed for was to know that I was created and designed by the Universe and that my presence, gifts talents and passions were part of His plan to restore myself and others to relationship with Him, only then was I able to say yes. Yes, I am thirsty. Yes, I need water. Only then was I able to start to be filled.

May you know that you are thirsty. May you know that the water you need has been given to you in creation and that you only need to start to drink. May you stay out of deserts and canyons and rapidly flowing flood waters as there is no life there.

Enough of the metaphor.

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