meaning in the blank space

I began this blog in a very stressful season of life, filled with physical pain and emotional stress. Blogging about everything from vacuum cleaners to itunes helped preserve my sanity. I took a blogging break this summer while my life was full of travel, nostalgia, and appreciating the cool weather of the Pacific Northwest.

Now we are home and it is August in the desert. Discouragement and exhaustion follow me around. For one crazy twenty-four hour period last month, we considered moving to Portland, Oregon. It truly was not a financially wise idea at this time. We know it is sensible to stay in the desert another year, saving money and sorting our belongings thoughtfully. But...I glimpsed the future and I wanted to jump into it. It still calls to me, making me discontent with the dust and the heat here. In August there are no women's activities at church, friends are travelling to cooler climates, and the month stretches out like a dry hot dreary winter with no holidays.

Before we went on our trip I ordered several Quiet Spaces booklets. Quiet Spaces is a magazine from England that explores "prayer and spirituality." I love the short articles by authors from various denominations. I thought some back issues would be perfect for our trip. But they did not arrive before our departure.

Last week we returned home and sorted through the mountain of mail. The Quiet Spaces "Creation and Creativity" issue was one of the first things I read. I was fascinated by Margaret Silf's words about the night sky in the southern hemisphere: "Aboriginal people find meaning in the dark spaces between the stars, rather than in the patterns of the stars."

Meaning in the dark spaces. Something within the blankness matters. I may be discouraged...bored...tired...but within this dry and dusty month I will listen for God's voice.