desert oceans

a poem about leaning on God's presence in the midst of hard seasons of life

i see the sand and i see the sun
a desert season has just begun
i walk around and i can’t see
the sun is blinding me

as i enter the desert, i enter the flame
as i trust in the promise, i welcome the pain
as i pour all my heart out into your embrace

i look up at the sky and it starts to rain

i see the ocean and i see the waves
raging all around me–where is your embrace?
i am sinking down to the sand
but i’m not drowning ‘cause you’re holding my hand
 
now the desert is an ocean and i’m battling the waves
as i trust in your promise, i flee from the grave
as i pour all my heart out i receive your grace

you’re here with me in this place

so i welcome these deserts and welcome these waves
i welcome these waters and welcome these flames
in these desert oceans your love sweeps me away

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About

Life sometimes feels like an ongoing story of learning to trust God and lean on the reality of his presence in the midst of life’s many seasons and circumstances. In Scripture, imagery of deserts or seas is often used to describe difficult seasons of life where there’s a tendency to lean more into fear than into faith.

No matter how hard a season is or how distant God seems to be, the truth is that he is always with us. His presence is with us wherever we go.

Psalm 139:7: Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

Matthew 28:20: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”