Friday Five: Rivers in the Desert

Hooray! It's time for this week's Friday Five!

I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19, NRSV

As we near the end of the long journey toward Easter, a busy time for pastors and layfolk alike, I ponder the words of Isaiah and the relief and refreshment of a river in the desert.

For this Friday Five, name five practices, activities, people or _____ (feel free to fill in something I may be forgetting) that for you are rivers in the desert.

1. A majorly important lifeline for me is the Magdalen online community. I've been a member of this group since early 2002, and a member of other online communities with many of the same members for about five years before that. There are some very special people in this community, who are always there when I ask for prayers or support. And they know who they are. :-)
2. MUSIC! I listen to a wide variety - from classical to sacred to rock, with a touch of jazz and some folk music for good measure. My all-time favorite bands are Carbon Leaf and Chicago. There are some songs on the about-seventeen "greatest hits" compilations that Chicago has put out that always move me. And, if I'm in my car, I sing. Sometimes, when I'm listening at work, it's hard not to sing, but I know my officemates will know I'm insane if I start singing at my desk.
3. Writing - I suspect that most of us will say this, in one form or another. Sometimes I write an email to a friend (see #1), sometimes a blog post, sometimes a journal entry, although I have little patience for writing longhand any more.
4. The blogging community has been so caring and generous and supportive. While Cute Overload rarely fails to bring a smile, there are plenty of you brothers and sisters out there are are incredibly inspiring.
5. And last but not least: prayer. Centering prayer, verbal prayer, the daily offices, intercession, the Jesus prayer, a rosary... just reaching outside of myself, to the Divine. When my daughter was in the hospital recovering from her surgery, and I was spending the long nights with her (sleeping very little, as it was a hospital), intercessory prayer made the nights shorter. Lifting up other people in prayer was a powerful help to me in a dark time.

Thank you, Songbird! I needed a reminder of the things that give me life.