Praying in the Heat

I live in the Las Vegas area where it hits 116 many days in the summer. The desert intrigues me. I’ve only been in Clark County for 14 years but it has enlivened my prayer life. When I look around, I can easily “see” the old patriarchs and the holy men and women of the Bible. I imagine what it must have been like in those days, without running water. Sandals let dust collect on bare feet. Long treks in the desert heat or camel and donkey rides must have allowed for some strong scents to develop.

I think of all these things when I travel across the “Vegas” valley in the summer, on errands. But what intrigues me more is that in the Bible, the men and women weren’t recorded as complaining about the heat or discomfort. They complained about other matters - food, relationships, fish if they were fishermen, children to carry on their names and their heritage. It’s as though they knew which things they had no control over and didn’t waste time fussing over it. They prayed, instead, about what mattered most.

It has been good for me to realize this. It keeps me from griping and whining when it gets hot here. It’s a good place for me to be because it helps me keep problems in perspective.

Dear God, thank you for helping me to understand what is important.