Dessert in the Desert by Amanda Anderson
October 2, 2025
As a child learning to spell, I was taught an adage to help me recall the difference between dessert and desert. Something along the lines of “dessert has two s’s”, just as one would want two servings of something sweet, a “dessert”. As opposed to a dry, desolate, and lacking “desert”.
In my Christian walk, I was introduced to another comparison to the desert: in contrast to a rich, fruitful season of life of abundance and harvest. I heard “desert seasons” were filled with problems over blessings, when God was more silent than vocal, and when we were on a journey to learn a lesson, build character, or have something stripped from us for God’s greater purpose. I believed desert seasons were used by God, but the goal was always to exit the difficulty of the desert and to reach a place where refreshment and peace awaited.
Immersion was life changing and served as a major impetus for a season of spiritual, emotional, and personal development. I am so grateful for what God did through it. A couple of years after my cohort graduated, I entered a time of deep, restorative work at God’s hand - but losses, disorientation, and confusion were also experienced. It seemed the further Jesus and I dug into the well of my soul, the more dirt came to the surface instead of the life-giving water I thought we were excavating. I realized, out of the blue, I was in one of those dreaded desert seasons. I prepared for isolation and scarcity as I wandered the landscape He allowed me to traverse. I knew His silence would not be punishment, but a tool used to intensify my pursuit of Him. While this sandy existence would not be something I would jump up and down for, I thought “worth it” because I knew it would be purposeful and for my good (Romans 8:28).
Pete Scazzero is one of my favorite contemporary authors and writes about desert mothers and fathers of old who ran from their societal hubs - their hometowns, their everyday hustle and bustle - to the solace of the desert where they could be alone with God. They experienced this isolated place not as punishment, or as a lesson to be learned, but as a life-giving reservoir that they craved. The emptiness of the desert was a joy because it made more space for God. This welcoming posture toward a desert season was a paradigm shift for me. What was once dreaded and endured transformed into a treasure to be sought. This was a wild flip of the script!
As this iteration of my desert season began, I was so grateful to have this new schema in my heart and mind. I didn’t need to fear the desert, but could now look for the comfort, richness, replenishment, and life-fueling presence of the Lord.
As I surrendered to the desert, I found unexpected relief from the distraction of my old goals, desires, and drives. I felt relief as the burdens of those cares came off my shoulders, as not much is carried in the desert, after all. I found the voice of God to be a rich, clear, and consistent stream that nourished my soul. Disconnecting from this flow brought the dryness and lack that I had associated with the desert, but when I plugged back into this life-source I was sustained, encouraged, and filled with thankfulness.
Truthfully, I am still in this desert season. I see dust and desolation when I look past the face of Jesus. My soul becomes quickly dehydrated when I am not consuming the living water (John 4:10). There are many answers to prayer I am still contending for. Interestingly, this season has included the least number of visible answers to prayer than any other season in my 41 years as a Jesus follower. I understand very little of what I am seeing in the physical realm. AND, I have never felt more confident in my God. I have never had less doubt that He is working on my behalf than I do at this time. My soul is assured that I will see the goodness of the Lord in this time and place that I am living in (Psalms 27:13). God speaks every single day when I choose to slow down, wait in His presence, and take the time to listen.
I’m not scared of the desert season because I have found the hidden treasure that lies in the endless dunes around me — the face and heart of God. I am comforted and my needs are met because of the riches of God (Phil. 4:19). I still look forward to harvesting from an orchard of satisfying fruit, my own promised land of milk and honey (Exodus 3:17) and I believe God hasn’t moved my permanent address to the desert - this is just a temporary placement. But I have found sweetness in this place. I have tasted and seen that the Lord, my precious, holy Lord, is indeed good (Psalms 34:8), and I am oh-so grateful. I am grateful for this desert. I am grateful He showed me the nature of His desert anew. His promises are so true, He has never left me nor forsaken me in this place (Deut. 31:6). In this place, I have found there to be two servings of the sweetness of God. I have found dessert in the desert.
Amanda Anderson PhD, LMFT is a graduate of the 2020/2021 Immersion cohort, a licensed marriage and family therapist, business owner, educator, and author of Shamelessly Redeemed: My Journey from Brokenness to Identity and Purpose.