As you go forth, there will be a voice that says, work hard enough, and you'll turn these stones to bread. But you've choked down a lifetime full of stones, and it's a taste you've already known too long. As you go out, there will be a voice that calls that if you jump, the angels'll break your fall. But you know there's nowhere left to go but down 'cause you're there scraping manna from the ground. As you go on, there will be a voice that screams, if you just serve me, then I'll give you all your dreams. But there's no dream when you're too worn out to sleep, and thirsty for a river running deep. As you go forth, there is one who walks with you, who's walked each step of what you're going through, and it's enough for him that you survive. He loves you now, who came to give you life. So carry on, though the desert lies ahead, where it takes your all just to find your daily bread. God knows your need, your heartache, and your fear. It hurts like hell, but it's good that you're still here.
Christ in the Wilderness by Ivan Kramskoy, 1872 – Google Cultural Center, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38344996
Kate Bluett 