The barren plane, desolate and empty, shades of brown and red, blue sky filling the world, big and never ending, reaching extending filling her view, the ground is dry, the wind hot and offering no comfort and the sun beats down on her neck.
Ahead there is shade, a big rock, like a sundial casting shadow as the hours tick on, relentless, the ground crunches as she walks, dust rising with each step.
The sun burning her skin, sweat evaporating leaving a dull ache as she moves, she needs the shade needs protection from the sun and from her life.
A lizard clings the the rock, darting in a spiral around claiming it’s territory, defiant of her presents, as she steps into the shade, at first there’s no respite, her eyes adjust and she sits, warm rock supporting her back, her legs leaving tracks as she starches them out. She drinks some water from her bottle, it’s warm and dusty tasting, she closes her eyes the effort of continuing almost to much, but she’s strong, she will not give in, will not be beaten, she will prevail, endure, he has beaten her, raped her, scared her, and tried to destroy her very soul, but her soul is not his, not even hers, it belongs to a greater power, a greater presents, pure love, pure joy, forgiving of sin and all enveloping, he will never own her soul, he can crush her body but her sprit will survive will endure, confident in the knowledge, that true power protects the core of her being.
With her eyes closed she says thanks, asks for guidance and asks for forgiveness of both her own sins and those of her abuser. And she’s at peace, content in the wonder and love.
She opens her eyes, and sees a green shoot, defiant, pushing from under the rock, reaching in hope toward the sky, and as she looks the desert dissolves, replaced by the bedroom sun reaching through the window signalling the start of a new day, the sounds of morning enveloping her and she’s content, in the knowledge that there is hope, and that God heard her prayer, and trusting in his love.
