Festival in the Desert: 7 Days of Hope in the Hard Timesনমুনা

Find Your Tribe “I have a remnant waiting for you.” This was the Word I got from the Holy Spirit when praying about moving back to LA from Ohio. It was at the height of my emotional and mental struggle when my anxiety was at an all-time high, and all I wanted was to feel like I was “home.”I realized that during my season of difficulty, I wrestled immensely with this deep loneliness. I missed my people, my tribe, my family. I missed feeling like I truly belonged. The worse the loneliness got, the more isolated I became. My burdens felt too heavy to share with anyone. After losing many people at the onset of my grief and journey into the metaphorical wilderness, I feared that if I showed up too messy with someone new, it would ruin my chances of being accepted at all. So, I smiled and tried to push past the pain. God knew better, though. He knew I was faking it until I hoped to say I was making it. In His Goodness, He brought the right people around me to hold me and carry me until it was time for me to head back west and experience greater healing. As I wrestled with the Lord and tried to talk myself out of breaking up with my boyfriend and moving yet again from mere fear of the unknown, I remember saying, “Why does it matter, God?! Won’t I find myself alone? What about the people that I lost? What’s the point in continuing to try and go back?!” I lamented how big of a failure I felt like. His remedy was to remind me that He had people waiting there for me, people worth doing the scary thing with of trusting Him and stepping out in faith yet again. So, I did. Each step I took in faith opened opportunities to connect with just the right people at the perfect time until God started leading me to a new group of people from all over, who became my new prayer partners and spiritual armor bearers. He started showing me more of His Heart for me by providing people who loved me in my mess, met me where I was, and then called me higher into God’s Love and Purpose. It made me even more aware of the people in my life and urged me on in intentionality, which I think can get lost when we are in pain. Suffering can often blind us to the cares, concerns, and even the blessings of others. Pursuing community and friendship broke open healing in my life and my faith. It made me want to start showing up again. We are not meant to do life alone. As relational beings created by a Triune God, we are hardwired for connection. While relationships are often where our biggest hurts can come from, they are also where our greatest healing and breakthrough happen. God wants to point us to those He has anointed to walk with us through the desert seasons, and we can trust that His Love will guide and bring us our tribe. Power Verse: Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Power Thought: We are made for relationship. Community provides support and strength during challenging times. Reasons to Rejoice: God has placed people in our lives to walk us through our wilderness seasons. Who can we lean on, pray with/for, and express gratitude for? Prayer Prompt: Heavenly Father, work in my heart and help me to love those You have called into my life. Please give me the Grace to release and forgive those you have removed. Help me to live my life as a representative of Heaven with the Love of Christ. Teach me how to steward well those You have entrusted to me while helping me heal from relational hurt so that I don’t hurt others. In Jesus' Name, Amen. Opportunity for Reflection: Who can you lean on for support during tough times? How can you intentionally choose to honor them and show them your gratitude?