Summer is not my favorite time of year. It’s hot, and I don’t like hot. Being of Arabic descent, it would seem I should be comfortable in the heat, and the sand, too. When I make a rare appearance at the beach my husband will often quip, "Where’d you park the camel?"

Funny. But truly, when I wonder what it was like for my ancestors, it causes me to reflect, also, on what it was like for Jesus living in so hot and dusty a climate, traveling everywhere he went by foot or maybe donkey;

eating who knows what during the lengthy trips between cities, sleeping on the earth, and, likely, carrying a lot of the earth with him on his clothes and body, as well.

Imagining how uncomfortable such a journey could be may cause us to wonder why Jesus would purposely seclude himself in the desert, not just for a day but for a month or more. But a careful look at his words and his behavior reveal a man who often felt the need to separate himself from the world to spend time with God. There, in the wilderness, without comfort or adequate nourishment it is easier for the soul to "be still and know" its God and to remember that God is the source and sustenance of its existence.

It is likely that we will all have a desert experience in our lives, sometimes self-imposed once we realize its value for our spiritual growth, but just as often as a result of life’s challenges. No matter how we begin the journey, the discipline of the desert experience can deepen our relationship with God and heal our soul, and in the process allow us to discover the value of struggle. Then we will have truly entered into the life of Christ.