August. For parents of young children, it’s the start of a school year. For me, August was the start of a new rhythm, a tuning of myself to the Lord and his ways, a deliberate opening of my previously closed hands.

In August, I started a Bible study on the feasts of Israel. I had been drawn to the beautiful imagery of Christ in each feast and I wanted to learn everything I could about them. This was the beginning of the Holy Spirit wooing me close and it’s no coincidence he chose to lead me into the wilderness of my own life while shepherding me through the wilderness in the Old Testament with the Israelites.