A long time ago, I came to Phoenix to visit my parents. They had moved here for a job. I remember saying “I don’t know why anyone would live in the desert. I would never live here.” I thought it was way too hot and it was ugly. There was just dirt and brown everywhere. There was very little green anywhere and the “trees” were scraggly looking to me. When you fly in on an airplane, you can see the landscape turn from green to brown as you are coming in.
I like to say God has a sense of humor. There are a few things I’ve said “never” to over the years and I’m sure God laughed at me. I have now lived here in the desert almost 20 years. While I still miss the (literally) greener pastures, I’ve grown to appreciate God’s beauty in the desert. The skies are beautiful here since there are fewer trees and you can see for miles. The mountains are different than what I was used to calling mountains from where I grew up in Virginia. At first, I decided those weren’t really qualified to be called mountains. But now, I have a view in my backyard of the desert mountains and the sunsets over those mountains are breathtaking.
I was not a big fan of cacti before moving here either. I didn’t find them particularly attractive and I was not interested in having any. Now, I am awed at their beauty when they are in bloom. I love seeing a majestic saguaro framed against the mountains and a gorgeous sky. I even find the saguaro skeleton fascinating when I see them. Maybe it’s just because I’ve gotten older, and have learned to appreciate things more, or maybe it’s just grown on me, but I enjoy finding the beauty in the desert now. That sounds like a life lesson there doesn’t it? Even when we are in the desert, there is beauty to be found!
