Bodies of Water

Man-made oasis in the desert. 

In my last post I wrote how Jack Swilling made this desert a populated city with the simple act of creating and restoring water channels. Now, 144 years later, the fact that Phoenix is ​​the fifth most populated city in the United States shows that everything invested by Swilling continues coming to live.

Now, it is common knowledge that in a desert there are few natural water sources. And Phoenix being a city in the middle of a desert is no exception. However, the city maintains water equilibrium thanks to the artificial water features that have been created.

One of the best-known artificial water features located outside the Phoenix metropolitan area is Lake Pleasant. This lake is one of the most important sources of water in the area. And although the area is recognized as a regional park, the center of attraction is the 10,000 acres of water that encompasses the lake.

But, although Lake Pleasant is one of the largest bodies of water throughout the state of Arizona, the lake does not cease to be an artificial source of water. To embrace the vast area covered by the lake it was necessary to import water from the Colorado River and the Agua Fria River. Still today both rivers continue feeding water to the lake.

In any case, I am pondering on sources of water in the desert not because I live in Phoenix, but because I am going through one of those seasons we call a desert. It's no secret that I'm looking for my next professional opportunity, but what many may be unaware of is the emotional rollercoaster that the search was causing me. Throughout the last couple of months, at some point or another during this process I have experienced anxiety, impatience, abandonment, frustration, exasperation, despair, hopelessness, discouragement, faintness, defeatism, and fainting at heart.

But discovering where most of the water consumed in Phoenix originates, I realized that in the same way that people in Phoenix don’t expect rain to meet all their water needs, I cannot expect God to be the only source of encouragement in my life. Just as each man-made channel and water feature was designed, I am responsible for adding to my life people from who "rivers of living water flow" (John 7:38).

In the middle of the season I'm living, I've had to design my desert. It has been my sole responsibility to seek people to encourage me. I’ve had to identify people who can impart wisdom to me at times when I've had to make a decision. I’ve had to rely on friendships to rejoice me. I’ve had find individuals who I can cry with. I’ve had to reach out to people who would listen to me. I’ve had to attract people who infect me with hope.

So now I can appreciate more than ever how important it is to seek, find and rely on people with whom to recreate with. I am convinced that just like Lake Pleasant serves as a place of escape in the desert, the people around us serve as a pleasant refuge in the midst of our difficult situations.

Altogether, the Bible expresses it this way: "A sweet friendship refreshes the soul" (Proverbs 27:9, The Message). Therefore, although it is our tendency to look up and yearn for rainfall, we should look around and find the people who represent water amid our emotional drought. The truth of the matter is that we cannot ignore the wealth of life, encouragement, and hope that each person holds.