When your body’s tired and your spirit’s weary, where do you go to seek renewal? Sometimes I look for peace in quiet meditation or prayer. Very often, I find solace among my family and friends. But sometimes I escape to my oasis, which is what I plan to do this weekend.
Have you ever been to an oasis? A real one, that is? When my husband took me hiking in Andreas Canyon several years ago, I saw the metaphor right away.
In the middle of a scrubby wasteland, lush greenery rises from the desert floor.
An outcropping of boulders and palm trees forms a steeple above the entrance.
Rustling vegetation and a burbling wellspring sing a convocation: Come in, come in…everybody’s welcome.
Until I witnessed it firsthand, I never could have imagined such a place existed. Surely this must be some of what the Israelites experienced when they reached the Promised Land!
An oasis is a peaceful place in which to commune with nature–or to go inward. It’s a spiritual refuge, offering each visitor a special message and benediction. I hope your weekend is equally restful and restorative, and that you’ll find your personal oasis.
P.S. Don’t miss Afraclose’s King Cake celebration. She’s lined up some great entertainment–plus, you could win a fabulous prize!
I have never been to a real oasis! Now I want to go! Hope you have a great weekend, too! :^D
(hmm… think I’ll work on making my home an oasis!)
I think making our homes an oasis is a wonderful idea!
A bubble bath…..same as splashing around in a waterfall?
close enough! :^
A bubble bath is a wonderful oasis. You can create one anywhere, I’m thinking, as long as it’s meaningful to you.
Thank you–It was a wonderful get-away, and I feel so refreshed.
I like your idea! Did you work on it this weekend? So many things compete for my attention here at home. I’m working on eliminating the clutter (mental and physical), because I really do want my own place to be a sanctuary.
What I worked on this weekend was finishing my revisions for my agent. I did it! Last night about 9:30 I was done! Yay!
Glad you are feeling good. You deserved some time for you! *hugs*
I’ll work on my house now that I’m waiting for word back on whether the revisions work. :^D
Congratulations on finishing your revisions! Whoa, that’s HUGE. You must have been so proud of yourself (and so relieved) when you finally hit the ‘send’ button. Now the waiting begins…I hope you’ll allow yourself some time for celebration!
I’m starting a class tonight on web design – so, no rest. But, maybe tomorrow!
En-gedi is like that, too — where David wrote many of the Psalms. It’s an amazing place.
Have you been there? Oh my goodness, it’s so beautiful! I’d love to see it for myself one day. I can see how it would have inspired David to write Psalms, and I can also see how it’d offer anyone the perfect place for quiet reflection.
I go to the beach now, but if I could, I would go to the redwoods.
Oooh…the redwoods! Woodsy places, especially with a water source, are my favorites. The desert, on the whole…not so much. But this oasis is such a beautiful, personally meaningful metaphor.
Oh, I totally get that. And it’s so beautiful!
When I scrolled through the photos I thought it was Israel. What a beautiful place! Have a wonderful time, Melodye.
I imagine it’s a lot like Israel, though I’ve never been there. Have you? But this seems close, in my mind’s eye, to what the Promised Land would have looked like. Although…I can’t imagine wandering through that desert for as long as the Israelites did. I’m a mountain stream or beachy kind of girl.
It looks so lovely! I want to sit down on the boulder and dabble my fingers in the water and just soak in the peace. Thank you for sharing it.
That boulder is a perfect spot for a picnic lunch, or just dangling your feet/hands in the cool spring water. So refreshing!!
I wish you could have been there, but I’m so glad you stopped by to share the pictures.
Enjoy your weekend, Melodye.
Thanks, Kelly, I did. I came away with a renewed sense of peace. And I hope your weekend was equally wonderful.
oh it looks wonderfully peaceful and restorative. Enjoy!
Oh Susan, I so wish you could visit the oasis with me sometime! As much as you love beautiful plants and the symbolism of place, I think you would find meaning there, as I did.
OMG, please take me there. I’m so winter-ed out that I would seriously kill to see anything green right now. Oasis is just the word for your special spot!
I wish I could take you with me! I remember living in places where warm weather (and greenery) was in short supply. I couldn’t handle it for very long, but I admire people who can. *sending you orange blossoms and sunshine*
I hope your having a wonderful weekend Melodye!
It looks beautiful!
Thank you! I had a fabulous weekend, and I hope yours was equally wonderful.
🙂
I’m planning a field trip to an oasis, for research purposes …
Research, eh? I’d love to hear all about this project. Sounds fun…and intriguing. 🙂
It’s the current novel. The first part, at least, is set in an oasis, so I’d like to soak up a little atmosphere.
Very cool. I hope your “research” also provides you a sense of respite and renewal. 🙂