Australia is one of a few places in earth where in certain parts or the country you can travel for days without seeing another living soul. Plenty of lizards, kangaroos and snakes perhaps but not another person. In those places it’s very easy to be lost and die. There is no help around, no phone coverage, no water supplies just desert and more desert. Imagine this, now stick with the barren desolate wasteland metaphor for a moment, because I’ve come to realise that when the mind is troubled we could be in the middle of Tokyo city, surrounded by millions of people and still find ourselves barren and alone in a desert of the mind, wondering aimlessly and feeling ourselves slowly dying. I don’t mean to be morbid, just real! So imaging that your there with death on every side and seeming so far from help all hope has vanished. The sand storms cut your skin, your lips crack and swell, your mouth is dry and your throat is like sandpaper. Into this scene comes a stranger. The stranger is kind and offers you help. The stranger knows the way out, has life giving water for you and offers to take you to safety. The choice is to take up the offer of help or not. That’s stupid isn’t it? Of cause we all would take up the offer of help- wouldn’t we?
Yet isn’t it strange, that so many of us although our own thoughts have messed us up for years, we still think we can sort it all out ourselves.
I’m so glad a stranger recued me, and although it still involved a great distance to get out of that desolate place (for I was very lost) I’m so thankful my new friend knew the way.
There is always hope.
Gary