“Therefore I am now going to allure her

I will lead her into the desert

and speak tenderly to her.

There I will give her back her vineyards

and will make the Valley of Achor

a door of hope.”

Hosea 2:15

What husband chooses a desert for romantic wooing? Beautiful beaches and mountain settings stir this heart. Yet here was God, a husband to His people, alluring by leading into a wasteland.

The second night of our homeless journey, Saturday, September 18, 2010, seeking to quiet my soul before going to sleep, I gripped the little piece of paper. A week previously, I had scribbled down Hosea 2:15 for contemplation. Now swirling thoughts inundated my mind with the realization that we no longer had a home.  

I grasped that our lives were drastically changed. However, I could not fathom the extent of the damage to our bodies. I couldn't foresee that in the coming two and a half years, my daughter Janelle and I would live in over twenty places and still not have a healthy dwelling to recover in.

I could not imagine the isolation of the desert before me or the desperation of the valley. “Valley of Achor” means “valley of trouble.” Janelle and I were homeless and ill. Hopelessness threatened my soul. Yet on this love note in my hand, were promises from my heavenly husband. He was leading. In the heat and harshness, He would speak tenderly. This heart stirred. The One who desires intimacy would use these circumstances to allure me to Himself. The Lover of my soul could make this desert a place of fruitfulness and my Valley of Achor a door of hope.

So, we rejoice in our sufferings

because we know that 
suffering produces perseverance

perseverance, character

and character, hope.

And hope does not disappoint us

because God has poured out His love

into our hearts

by the Holy Spirit 
whom He has given to us.

Romans 5:3-5