Spiritual Droughts

Throughout the world, many places are experiencing droughts from the lack of rain.  When droughts happen crops cannot grow, food shortages occur, and in some situations, people die from starvation and disease.  In my home if the chocolate drawer is running dry, my sweet tooth suffers from a chocolate drought.

Seriously, have you ever experienced a spiritual drought in your personal life?  Perhaps you feel your prayers get no higher than the ceilings.  Maybe you feel abandoned and forgotten.  I believe every Christian experiences a spiritual drought at some point in their spiritual walk.  Yet, can a minister’s wife experience it?  Oh yes, sisters, we can!

There have been so many times in my life as a pastor’s wife that I have felt so alone and forgotten.  I questioned God in our calling to certain churches, in trials in the ministry, and even in my own person life.  About three years ago I literally screamed at God and asked “where are you, God?”  It seemed that every way I turned I saw no end to the storm I was in.  I was lost, confused, afraid, and doubting.  For me, it was a scary place to be in.  I mean I am a pastor’s wife after all.  Seriously, I should know that God is right there with me.

Still I am human.  I have days when I see God all over the place.  However, there are those dark days when I wonder if God is sleeping.  At times, I have not voiced my struggle because I feared God was too busy to be concerned about my silly problems.  What this failure led to was a deep spiritual drought.

Earlier this week, I felt a drought coming.  I was concerned with a situation that involves a dear loved one.  At first I found myself asking why.  As I sat down for my quiet time, I voiced a short prayer. “God, you know what is happening.  You know the trial. You know my heart is questioning.  Please provide assurance and peace.”   God was already answering my prayer.  My quiet time passage that day was Psalms 37:23-24 where God promises to never let go of our hand.  Wow, I needed those verses and I shared them with my loved one.  Later that afternoon God sent another hug my way that continued to assure me that He knows all the details of all we go through.  These sweet reminders staved off an oncoming spiritual drought.

Have you ever watched an old western movie where a cowboy is lost in the desert and desperate for water?  He is at a point of death.  Suddenly, he scans the horizon and spots an oasis.  You see the relief he feels on his face as he soaks up the cool water.  Likewise, when we are walking through a spiritual drought, we are desperate for God to appear.  We keep searching and pleading with God.  Suddenly, just as we are at the point of giving up hope, we see God’s answer and plan.  Psalms 121:1-2 states, “I raise my eyes toward the mountains.  Where will my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Sisters, I say all this to assure you that spiritual droughts are okay.  Sometimes we have to experience them in order to see God’s big plan and His miracle working right before our eyes.