I learned a very interesting little bit of information the other day while catching a tidbit of a cooking show.  I never knew that when you leave bread out in the air to dry so that it will soak up more liquid all that happens is that the bread becomes stale.  If you really want to dry the bread so that it will soak up more liquid, say for French toast, bread pudding, or turkey dressing, you need to put it in the oven for a bit to actually dry it out.  The oven temperature evaporates the liquid content in the bread leaving it ready to receive the liquids you want it to contain for your recipe.

This just amazed me!  And I couldn’t help but think that perhaps we are much like that bread.  If we meet periods of dryness in our lives, without really withstanding any heat, all that happens is we become stale.  But, if we allow ourselves and our spirits to embrace the dryness and endure the heat of arid times in our spiritual lives, then we will be ready – more ready – to receive the wonderful refreshment God has in mind for us and we can be transformed into something new.

Such periods of spiritual dryness may be necessary for us to fully receive the life of the Spirit we are offered.  It may be necessary for us to dry out all that is not of God in our lives so that we can be hydrated again with all that is God, offering the wonderful recipe of God’s love, compassion, and acceptance to the world.

Spiritual dryness and excessive heat in our lives may be graced moments.  Embrace them.