It warms my heart during the long Alberta winters, to sit and read stories of deserts and heat.
Oases are magical places in these books…good water, maybe a few palm trees and the beauty of green in a beige-brown world.
Most of us Canadians live surrounded by snow and dark days during the winter. Maybe that is why Christmas lights and decorated trees are so cherished in December.
Needless to say, January and February are not my favorite months of the year, but now with three great grandchildren all born in those months, plus my own two daughters, January and February have taken on a new dimension. These additions to the family are wonderful gifts of God are my oasis in the long winter months. They are anticipated and enjoyed with gifts, cards e-mails and phone calls.
An oasis can be found anywhere…coffee with friends when you are lonely, smiles from a stranger when you are blue, an email from an old friend or even a special wave hello. My oasis is often my small microwavable warming pad that when heated warms me quickly after a freezing walk to the corner store.
An oasis is not a permanent resting place. It is however a place of renewal. We all need them and we all can give them to others too.
I’m a great one for hugs. When I volunteered at the hospital we actually had a “Hug Therapist” on our volunteer list. Vince hugged volunteers and patients alike and put a smile on everyone’s face. He is long gone, but the memory of his love lingers. Vince was an oasis to many who really needed a hug that day.
Scripture mentions Jesus taking time for renewal…he visits Martha and Mary, he holds a child, he sits and prays to His Father. These are oasis experiences in a desert of rejection.
A friend phoned me the other day and gave me an opportunity to be an oasis in her misery. Next week I may need her as my oasis when the desert of my live overwhelms me.
You don’t have to take on a lifetime commitment…just be there for that short time that someone needs you as an oasis in their life.
