Image: Gift of the Wilderness
© Jan Richardson
Reading from the Gospels, Lent 1, Year A: Matthew 4:1-11
As Lent has begun, I’ve been thinking about different kinds of deserts.
There are deserts we have chosen, and ones that we have not. There are deserts that seem devoid of life and sustenance, and ones that hold hidden wellsprings and remarkable beauty. There are deserts where we might feel completely alone, and ones where, to our surprise, help and company come to us in forms we did not expect.
Sometimes these are all the same desert, and we are the ones who become different as we travel deeper into it, able to perceive and know more clearly what the desert holds than we did when we first entered into it.
Always a desert changes us, if we allow it. And this is what Lent offers to us. This season provides a landscape that welcomes our own inner terrain: our fear, pain, and grief; our joy, solace, and hope; and the wild space within us where all of this lives together. Lent tells us that everything we carry in us—everything we carry in us—is met, held, and transformed in Love.
As we move into this season, this is a blessing for you.
Where the Breath Begins
Dry
and dry
and dry
in each direction.
Dust dry.
Desert dry.
Bone dry.
And here
in your own heart:
dry,
the center of your chest
a bare valley
stretching out
every way you turn.
Did you think
this was where
you had come to die?
It’s true that
you may need
to do some crumbling,
yes.
That some things
you have protected
may want to be
laid bare,
yes.
That you will be asked
to let go
and let go,
yes.
But listen.
This is what
a desert is for.
If you have come here
desolate,
if you have come here
deflated,
then thank your lucky stars
the desert is where
you have landed—
here where it is hard
to hide,
here where it is unwise
to rely on your own devices,
here where you will
have to look
and look again
and look close
to find what refreshment waits
to reveal itself to you.
I tell you,
though it may be hard
to see it now,
this is where
your greatest blessing
will find you.
I tell you,
this is where
you will receive
your life again.
I tell you,
this is where
the breath begins.
—Jan Richardson
from Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons
P.S. I want to let you know about this online event happening soon with Nazareth Retreat Center:
A CONVERSATION WITH JAN RICHARDSON
Virtual Retreat Hosted by Nazareth Retreat Center
Saturday, February 28, 2026, 2-4 pm (ET)
I am so looking forward to this online event offered by Nazareth Retreat Center on February 28! As we enter into Lent, we will explore how to notice God’s presence in the unexpected, to find grace in the quiet and in the chaos, and to embrace the unfolding mystery of life. We would love for you to join us from wherever you are!
Info & registration: https://nazarethretreatcenterky.org/programs/1939/a-conversation-with-jan-richardson.
If you have any questions, please contact Nazareth, and they will be glad to help.
_____________________
Using Jan’s artwork
To use the image Gift of the Wilderness, please visit this page at janrichardsonimages.com.
Using Jan’s words
For worship services and related settings, you are welcome to use Jan’s blessings or other words from this blog without requesting permission. All that’s needed is to acknowledge the source. Please include this info in a credit line: “© Jan Richardson from Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons. janrichardson.com.” For other uses, visit Copyright Permissions.
