Water in the Desert

Have you ever longed for something, but you couldn’t explain why? Last year, I was privileged to take my first overseas trip to Greece. In 2022, I remember seeing a beautiful picture of white buildings with blue doors, rooftops, and crystal blue waters in the background. Blue caught my attention because it is my favorite color, but something indescribable about the picture made me say, ‘I want to go to Greece’. I never knew which country was in the picture, though Santorini was the one Greek island I had heard about, and a gripping desire came over me to travel there.

Santorini, Greece

Plans to Travel

Before the idea of Greece, my only interest in traveling overseas was somewhere in Africa. But the intense itch to travel to Santorini surpassed that and swelled within me like fluffy dough rising in a hot oven. I enjoy cruising to most destinations outside the U.S. to get a feel for the culture and environment, which helps me decide if I want to return for a more extended stay. Later, I shared my travel ideas with my sister, who was immediately on board. We agreed a cruise would be best and confirmed the best time to travel to Greece was during the early Spring or Fall months. With no hesitation, I made a 10-day cruise reservation for May 2024.

At the beginning of 2024, we realized that we needed to postpone the trip to a later date. We moved the date from May to September, the next best time of year to visit Greece. Do you know the feeling of sitting on a roller coaster ride, waiting for it to take off? It can be overwhelming with nervousness and excitement, which is how I felt as the time approached to prepare for our voyage. I didn’t know what to expect, so I decided to check out a few YouTube videos to give me an idea. I found a great video on cruising to Santorini. The cruiser gave a full visual of sailing to the port. He showed the three options to reach the island's top, 853 feet above sea level:

1. Ride the cable car.

2. Ride on a donkey, or 

3. Walk the donkey trail of nearly 600 steps.

   
   

Since he walked the path, he mentioned that it took him about an hour with short breaks in between, so this helped set my expectations. I knew we could do it, and now I was ready for my vacation.  Which method of travel would you have chosen?

Walking the Donkey Trail

The travel experience to Athens, Greece, and the stay were fantastic. We arrived a day and a half early to ensure we would be on time for the cruise. We were also able to explore Athens a bit. The day came to board the ship to start sailing and explore the various islands. Day 9 was the stop at Santorini—the long-anticipated island to explore. We had to take a tender from the ship to get there. Once we arrived, we saw the long line for the lift and made our way to the stairs. With all the excitement, we did not think to bring water. The weather was fair, and the heat from the sun was mild. We passed the donkey’s and the men offering us a ride along with one unappealing piece we observed in the video...donkey poop sporadically on the steps. As we walked the steep, wide stairs cautiously, we realized it wasn’t too bad. Then, as we kept going, the heavy breathing started. I had to remind myself and my sister to breathe correctly while trying to enjoy what turned into a hike. We stopped a couple of times for a break, and three-quarters of the way to the top, I started to feel faint. I told my sister, “I’m going to faint.” I knew this because I had fainted a few times in years past. Both times I fell to the floor but in anticipation this time I was thinking I cannot fall…there is donkey poop everywhere.

When I found a spot to rest, I felt my body overheating, breaking out into a sweat, my vision beginning to blur, and things quieting around me. In my mind, I was saying, “Jesus, is this happening right now. I am helpless in the middle of nowhere.” Then, in a moment, things went black. When I started to come to, I realized I was still standing upright, leaning against the staircase wall that came up to my hips, and my sister's hand on my shoulder. As my ears opened, I could hear a conversation taking place. It was my sister and a woman. My sister said, “Thank you so much.” Then the woman said, “No problem, she should sit down.” In response, I hastily said, “I’m ok”. I was adamant about not sitting on those steps. My sister was trying to give me water, but a little drop reached the cusp of my bottom lip as I was too weak to fix my mouth to drink from the bottle. Then she poured water over my head to cool me down. As this happened, I wondered where the water came from.

After a few minutes, I told my sister that I was starting to feel better, and we could keep going since we were less than a quarter of the way from the top. Arriving at the mid-top point, there was a little convenient shop where we could stop to buy a bottle of water. A man was already there making a purchase, and I stood behind him, telling my sister I would get us water. However, I wasn’t sure if the store owner would take a card payment since I did not have any Euros. When the man in front of me was done, I asked the owner about card purchases. He said I would have to buy something to see if his payment system would work because the network worked intermittently. Before I got the chance to try, the man who was previously ahead of me offered me a Euro and said it would be enough to get what I needed. I was so very grateful and thanked him. After I paid for the water, I tried to give him the change, but he was gone.

Then, we walked up the few remaining stairs to reach the initial top level. As we approached, the lady my sister was talking to when I blacked out was waiting at the top of the stairs, excited to see us. She said, “I waited here hoping I would see you and wanted to ensure you were alright.” I gave her the biggest hug and thanked her several times. She said she was on the same cruise ship as us, though we did not see her again after that moment.

Although I was a little weak, my sister and I enjoyed the rest of our time in Santorini. We recapped the incident on the stairs and laughed about it later. My sister mentioned that she had thanked God for the lady who had offered her the water for me because right beforehand, she was thinking, ‘How am I going to get her some water?’

Matthew 6:8 Occurrence

When we returned home a few days later, I sat in God’s Presence during my covenant time. I prayed, “Here I am, Holy Spirit, show me something; speak to me.” I didn’t know what to expect, but as I closed my eyes, I saw myself in Santorini, on the steps, helpless, unable to move, facing the wall I saw before things went black. The thought I was thinking in that moment came to mind: “Jesus, no one outside of my sister is around to help me on the stairs, and there is nowhere I can go.” Then I heard, “I will always provide water in the desert,” and immediately after, I was shown my sister looking around pondering how she was going to get me water, the lady who gave her a bottle of water showed up in that moment, and the man that gave me the Euro for water. Uncontrollable tears began running down my face, and I could only praise God.

My enthusiasm to go to Greece, specifically Santorini, and the date changes we made didn’t make sense initially, but it unfolded beautifully in that moment of revelation. The yearning to go to a foreign place without knowing what to expect boggled my mind until I sat in the still place to hear from God. Reflecting on the events, I thought we should have brought water, knowing we had a long climb up the stairs. But considering that, I heard, ‘because you did not get water, it allowed Me to show you My glory.’ The incident I experienced during the trip was the highlight I share whenever I am asked about Greece. The water in the desert was a representation and a reminder that no matter where I am, my Heavenly Father knows my needs before I do. He will go ahead of me to make the provisions to meet every need.

Can you think of a time when God provided for you when you least expected it? How much more did this help you to trust Him?

Comment below or email me to share your story. I would love to hear from you.