Through the Valley Jornada del Muerto
I sat on a dusty trail at the western edge of the Organ Pipes Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona. Located on the border with the state of Sonora, Mexico, some of the bleakest countryside anywhere surrounded this monument. Like several other parts of the old southwest, this region through the valley was often called the jornada del muerto or the journey of death.
This particular day I stared west. I knew one hundred and twenty miles of desert away lay the town of Yuma. What a hazardous, difficult excursion even with today’s conveniences. But to my amazement I knew some brave souls made that trip a hundred, even two hundred years ago. Truly, this one part of the world doesn’t seem to be created for human habitation.
As I stared across the barren land, felt the heat radiating out of the soil, and viewed the wispy vapors of watery mirages, I wondered what on earth would propel anyone to make that journey back in the old days? Some went for conquest, some for missionary zeal, some for gold as they headed for the fertile valleys of California. Some looked to find family or start a family. And, of course, some survived, while others’ bones bleached white under the blazing sun.
No Green Pastures
The pioneer roads west seldom blazed next to a cool, babbling stream, nor in the shade of tall, leafy cottonwoods. Whether you came across the sands of southern Idaho, the sinks of central Nevada, or the deserts of Arizona, most every overland immigrant faced their own jornada del muerto.
It seems to me that most of our spiritual lives also face similar tough times. In the Bible, David describes it this way, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
For some, the journey of death has to do with failing health. For others, it’s a bitter end to a once vital relationship. And for some, it’s a matter of failed finances. We each have our own private desert seasons. But, like with David, it need not be the last chapter of life. We come out on the other side because of the One who goes with us, who comforts us. Jesus will take every step beside us on our jornada del muerto.
Stephen Bly
Copyright 1993
Desert Cactus Image by BUMIPUTRA from Pixabay
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“A Walk Thru Jornada Del Muerto” AUDIO PODCAST by award-winning western author Stephen Bly. Sponsored by BlyBooks.com Legacy Series.
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