Living in the Desert

My favorite vacations when I was young were the vacations we would take out West.  I loved the different scenery from the mountains, to the plains, to the incredible rock formations, and natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon and Mt. St Helens. 

But we also went through the desert.  At first, I was intimidated because all I knew about the desert was what I experienced from the TV watching Gunsmoke with my granddad.  The desert was where people died.  It was hot, dry, unforgiving.  Indians always lured the cowboys into the desert before finishing them off.  At night, the moon plays tricks with your eyes in the desert.  Things look totally different than they do in the daytime.  It was where coyotes howled at the moon in the middle of the night when little kids were in the outhouse! (personal story)

But after a few vacations out West, I learned that the desert was fascinating.  It was full of life.  All kinds of animals and creatures and plants could be found in the desert.  It was beautiful in it's own way.  And on the way out West, the desert always lead to my favorite part.......the mountains.

I think life is a lot like a desert.  It can be scary.  It can be intimidating.  It is easy to be afraid.  Things don't appear to be what they really are.  But, if we learn to face our fears and face the unknown head on, the mountains usually appear and the reward makes it worth the journey through the desert.