25 June - Quotidian Quotations

"Oh that the desert were my dwelling-place!"

- Lord Byron, poet

For me, there is nothing as beautiful as an arid landscape.

Since visiting several deserts over the past few years - the Sonoran in Arizona, the Mojave in California and Nevada, the badlands in the Dakotas and the Dead Sea region in Israel - I have fallen in love with their stark, expansive beauty.

In my opinion, though, none can approach the combination of parched dryness and surprisingly lush vegetation that is found in little-known Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Located in the least-visited state of the USA, North Dakota, this gem of a landscape allows hikers to share trails with wild horses, bison and rattlesnakes. There are dangers - not the least of which is the intense plains sun - but getting right down into the towering, multicoloured badland dunes, sighting a far-off bison herd, walking right through the middle of a prairie dog colony's antics, and stopping to see a delicate yet brilliantly coloured desert flower are all well worth the watchfulness and slightly heightened anxiety of the journey.

We all have arid times in life, too, when we find ourselves in the desert. It's dry and may appear barren or even dangerous, making us want to turn back. Instead, may we don our wide-brimmed hats of God's protection from the sun's intensity, pick up our water bottles of God's Word for sustenance, and trust our guide - God himself - to lead us through the dangers. Then we'll have the peace of mind to enjoy the view. Even in the desert.

- J