Digging Deeper

“Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord.
“No, I am far away at the same time. Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?
Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.

-Jeremiah 23:23-24

The day we drove into Yuma, it was 116˚. The Arizona sun was so hot it hurt to stand directly in it.The moisture on my lips evaporated the second I licked them. The desert was a totally different world from the lush green farmlands of Indiana. We found a hotel room we could use as a headquarters until we could find somewhere more permanent to live. Our new teaching jobs started in three weeks, so we would have to investigate quickly. We bought a local newspaper and drove around checking out rental possibilities. After a long day of unsuccessful searching, we stopped to eat some pizza at a local restaurant. We were beginning to feel very homesick and doubt our sanity in coming west.

As we began to eat the supreme pizza with extra cheese, we immediately felt better! Even though we were far away from everything and everyone that was familiar to us, the pizza tasted the same as back home! The same God who loved us in Indiana was right here now. With our stomachs full and our spirits refreshed, we left the restaurant ready to continue our search. As the sun was setting across the flat desert, we found our apartment we would call home. Our first desert sunset was spectacular! The colors seemed more intense and trees did not obscure the breathtaking scene. The hot sand glowed orange as the sun set below the horizon, outlining the saguaro cactus in our new home.

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Bible Reading: John 14:1-6

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No matter where I go, You are with me. When I look up at the moon hovering over the desert, it is the same moon rising over my parents’ farm. You were present yesterday, are present today, and will be present in an eternity of tomorrows.

by Dianna Brisco