
"The wilderness is an important part of our relationship with God because it thrusts us into unfamiliar, scary, and sometimes even dangerous territory. All of the usual props that we rely on are missing. We’re vulnerable, and when we’re vulnerable we’re more open to God. Without our usual props to rely on, we must rely on God alone. When we’re in the wilderness, we become clear about all of those things about us and about our life that don’t contribute to our relationship to God and we let them go. Just as with Dorothy, we realize the true value of our home, our home with God. We come out of the wilderness cleansed, strengthened, renewed, knowing what matters and what doesn’t matter."