Thirsting for Living Water

"As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?" - Psalm 42:1-2, NRSV

Have you ever been desert thirsty? Most of us who live in this part of the US have had that experience because we live in desert conditions. But the time I remember best about being thirsty and learning a lesson about physical and spiritual thirst was on my first hike into the Grand Canyon. While I had done a lot of mountain camping, backpacking and climbing, on those experiences I usually had access to an abundance of water. I even remember the days when we didn’t have to boil water to drink because the “bug” Giardia and its ilk had not infested our water supply.

About ten members and friends of the Koinonia Church (ABC and Church of the Brethren) in Grand Junction had planned a trip into the Havasupai Indian Reservation on the western edge of the Grand Canyon. It was a haven of green grass, flowing waters and three majestic water falls; it seemed to belong more to Hawaii than Arizona, but there it was, an oasis in the desert and within walking distance of the Colorado River.

We were all prepared for the ten-mile desert trek into the reservation. We had been well briefed, but I, having been backpacking for almost ten years, only carried one small water bottle. I thought surely that we would be following a stream from which we could dip out water as needed. But, not so! For several miles we never caught site of a little pool of water let alone a fast flowing stream. Soon (within about three miles) I discovered to my dismay that I had consumed all my water. Never mind, my British “stiff upper lip” syndrome came into play and I would certainly be able to tough it out without asking for help.

It only took about another mile before I suddenly found myself very weak, very dry and unsteady. One of my friends noticed my behavior and asked if I needed water. I dumbly (in two senses of that word) shook my head. Less than a hundred yards later I sat down quit quickly and unsteadily on a rock—it felt like I was drunk (I hasten to add I had never experienced being drunk before, strict Baptist that I was). Again, my friend, joined by two others asked me what was going on. I finally conceded that I had used up all my water and was too proud to ask for help.

They quickly poured water over my head and told me to slowly sip water that they had. They shared with me some of their limited supply of water in the desert. Finally, I made it to the village in the reservation, went into their café and asked for a glass of water and could they fill my bottle for me. The Indian waiter did so graciously, then proceeded to lecture my quite gently about the folly of going into the desert without water. He then shared, also quite gently, that while the “Great Spirit” could take care of our spiritual beings, it was up to us to care for our physical needs. With his words of counsel oozing slowly into my mind and spirit, my body had been refreshed and I was able to complete the journey.

That evening, our pastor, Ron Harris, used the story of our trek through the desert into the veritable Eden like paradise of the waterfalls and pools as a metaphor of for the life of the Christian. He did not know about my experience because my friends and I had not told anyone. Finally, I “fessed up” and told my story, and what I learned from my friends, from the waiter of whom I learned later was one of the tribal elders, and shared both my spiritual and physical desert experience and what I learned. While the lesson about taking more than enough water for a desert trek was important, I also learned that you couldn’t survive in a spiritual desert without those who will share their gifts and their wisdom to help me through the wilderness.

If you find yourself in a spiritual wilderness of a desert, perhaps you could take time to join SoulJourners at our retreat at the St. Francis Retreat Center in Colorado Springs where the theme “Thirsting in the for God” will be explored using the Scripture quoted above and an entry way into the journey. Go to the link in the Region website for more information on this retreat, September 14-16.

 

 

 

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