Unlikely Oasis - Part Three
Prickly Pear Presence
My summer travels culminated in a trip to rural West Texas during the most undesirable time of the year. I chose this unlikely oasis because of the people I wanted to visit. What I found was the beauty of the prickly pear and its message about being fully present.
My Mysterious Mind
After my crazy trip to the east coast I seriously wondered if my life should include less traveling, specifically fewer trips through airports. I love flying, but submitting myself to the unpredictable machinery of the airlines has become anxiety-producing. As I sat in the Chicago airport on the way home from DC, I thought about how I had already bought a ticket to Texas and would only be home eight days. As if to reassure me of my plans to fly again, I was upgraded to first class on my last flight home from Chicago to Springfield. That one hour and eleven minutes in First Class is the best experience I have ever had on a plane. With one flight attendant for nine passengers, I was waited on with beverages and snacks at a level I had yet to enjoy. With an overnight stay in a hotel on my way to the East Coast and an upgrade to First Class on the way home, the universe was providing what I needed, even though these “oasis experiences” were unlikely and unscheduled.
I recovered from the tumult of my East Coast adventure and was back in an airport a little more than a week later. This time I flew from Springfield to Dallas to Abilene. At the Dallas-Fort Worth airport I arrived at gate B25 and departed from gate B24. Between the gates was a restaurant where I enjoyed a meal with a full view of my next gate (see photo for proof). Again, the universe was saying “It’s OK, you should be making this trip.”
I knew I would be spending a few days in West Texas during the most miserable time of the year, but I was planning in the back of my mind to compose my next “Unlikely Oasis” post with a sub-title “Finding Joy in the Sweaty Armpit of Texas.” I was confident I would find joy in the unlikely oasis of the late summer of hot, dry Texas, I just didn’t know exactly where.
What I didn’t know I would find is the wonder of the prickly pear in the presence of my niece and her family. On the first day we took a nature walk in the unspoiled acreage, meandering past starving grasses and shuffling through dusty ruts. The abundance of wildflower blooms had already withered, though there were tiny blossoms near the ground for the alert observer. The patches of prickly pear cactus were easy to see, in fact, they were hard to miss. I had missed the flowers (see picture from my niece) but the fruit was nearly ripe.
My niece described how she harvests the fruit using metal tongs (see picture from my niece) and uses the fruit to make jelly. The fruit is prickly but tasty.
The second morning we added some of that homemade prickly pear jelly to our morning yogurt. Her 18-month-old daughter begged for more and more like a crack addict. I was impressed with my niece’s dedication to harvesting something nature provides in this harsh landscape. My mother, her grandma, would be proud.
The third day we took a trip into “town,” enjoying my niece’s favorite places in Abilene. For lunch we went to a Tex-Mex restaurant, and I asked if any flavors were available for my iced tea. Prickly pear was the first option offered by the waitress. It paired well with the tea and my brisket chili relleno.
On the morning of my final day, with a flight booked in the afternoon from the adorable Abilene airport, I joined my niece’s yoga class where she is the instructor. Her theme for the session, which she chose as a celebration of our time together, was about the gift of presence. The joy of being together, like the sweetness of prickly pear juice from a cactus, can be found even in the unlikely oasis of the sweaty armpit of Texas.
Message of Mystery Acres
Mindfulness is the current term for being fully present, with the additional component of acceptance without judgment. As a natural-born judger, my mind is continually searching and assessing whatever is happening around or within me. I don’t make mindfulness my goal for living in the moment, being completely present, and trying to minimize my squirrel mind tendency to shift from one thought to another. Instead, I try to BE wherever I am, with whoever is near me, aware of the context of actual reality rather than tethered to a device and its pipeline to everything else.
According to Reader’s Digest (Anderson, 2025), being outdoors provides a healthy opportunity to practice “nature mindfulness.” To practice this version of mindfulness means to put away distracting devices and “watch the clouds, listen to the birds, or simply observe your surroundings” (p. 63). Being in the forest is a wonderful place to practice being fully present. Taking a walk on the gravel road provides an abundance of sensory delights to absorb. Just in the visual category there are rocks, grasses, wildflowers, trees, and sky. Add the auditory component and the voices of birds, locusts, tree frogs, and distant animals dial into awareness. I also listen for the sounds of the rocks beneath my shoes, tuned into the high-pitched clink of chert, which signals possible prehistoric stone tools. If there are flowers, I often pause to smell them, bringing another source of sensory input. When a breeze moves the air around me, it gently caresses my skin and moves the trees into a hushed wave of sound. I bring my phone, not to connect me to the non-natural world, but to take pictures of whatever treasures I find. I included a photo of ironweed from a visit to Mystery Acres earlier this week. Should such an extraordinary flower warrant being placed in the weed category?
The more time I invest in the forest, the more abundance I discover there. During a recent conversation about the property I was asked, “What do you do there? Is there a lake?” I didn’t really know how to respond because there is so much to “do” by just “being” in the forest. I don’t need some “activity” to occupy me. Just fully bringing myself into the forest and tuning to its myriad wonders, I have more than enough to fill the moments there. There are more rocks than I can examine, more types of grass than I can study, and too many trees to contemplate. Add to that the variety of weather conditions that make each moment of every day a bit different than any previous one.
The message of Mystery Acres is a plea to be fully present. Look and really see. Listen and truly hear. Pause to notice the feel of the air or the scents wafting nearby. It isn’t necessary to set aside judgment. What can you see that brings you delight? What can you hear that stirs you with wonder? How does this moment flow from outside of you into you, filling your spirit with joy? Being fully present with another person starts with a foundation of complete immersion into the place you are.
Ancient Mystery’s Voice
“You fill me with the joy of Your presence.” (Acts 2:28)
In the book of Acts, the author quotes something King David wrote centuries earlier, recorded in the book of Psalms. The Bible’s version of boldface font is to repeat something. This can happen within a book, or it can occur across books written by various authors. In this way, the simple verse about being filled with joy because of the presence of the Lord is emphasized.
The origin of the word “presence” used in the English translations has its roots in the ancient word for “face.” Only a few translations of the ancient text have preserved the word face, choosing the word “countenance” or “presence” instead. The basic gist in the verse is to be very happy about seeing the Lord as He looks at me.
This brings to mind the Graham Speechley quote “listen with your eyes as well as your ears.” Being really tuned into the presence of another person involves listening and looking at them. When we are fully present with another person we listen with our entire person and our face. This is the same way the Lord is waiting to be fully present with us.
And such full presence brings a filling of joy. David said of the Lord, “You fill me with the joy of Your presence.” David, fully focused on the Lord, was fully present with His fully present Lord. The result was an infusion of joy.
We can give that presence to each other, too. After a late-night chat with my niece’s husband, he said, “I’m glad you came.” I replied, “I’m glad you’re glad.” In that moment, we acknowledged our presence with each other. To make that possible, I traveled to the sweaty armpit of Texas, put aside all other distractions, and was fully present. That full presence made it possible to experience a filling of joy.
The Voice of Ancient Mystery invites a full presence as we listen with our eyes as well as our ears. We can offer this to each other, and the Lord offers it to us. Such full presence brings full joy.
Living in Mystery
What does it mean to find the unlikely oasis of prickly pear presence? First, it means not being distracted by the prickles, focusing instead on the possibilities for joy. As I walked a trail through native grasses scorched by unrelenting heat, I learned something about myself, how I travel in difficult places, and what sustains me during desert seasons. I’m relentless, too. No matter the harshness of my current circumstances, I’m continuously searching for gifts in the rough. By being fully present, tuning into what is possible, I find, like my niece, sweet gifts from the prickly places. Lemonade can be made from lemons; prickly pear jelly can be made from the fruit of cacti some consider a nuisance.
Joy is where you find it – but you must sacrifice for it, and look for it, and claim it – especially in the unlikely oasis of West Texas at its least attractive time. The place provides the possibilities for joy, but the people need to bring an expectant attitude to find the joy. Finding prickly pear joy requires a full presence of yourself in the place and with whoever else is there.
As an old mom to young parents, I admonish you to think about how well you listen to your children with your eyes. When your child is talking to you or showing you something, is your attention divided, your focus stolen by something less important? Highly effective parents cultivate the habit of being fully present with their children, maybe not every moment of every day because there are activities required to support the home. My grandchildren fill my heart with joy, and I fill them with joy because I strive to be fully present when we are together. This level of full presence wasn’t possible when I was a parent, responsible for their entire well-being, not just their sense of value to me. Nonetheless, I challenge you to be fully present with your children more than you currently are. A fuller joy awaits you both.
Joy isn’t the place to which you travel, it’s something you find in the place you are with the people next to you. Even when that place is prickly, there is joy available from being fully present, looking and listening for it. Immerse yourself in the abundance of nature. Listen to each other with your eyes. In the unlikely oasis of prickly pears, learn to be fully present and find joy even in the sweaty armpit of Texas.
Connecting with Mystery
Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to having a divided focus instead of a full presence when I am with You and when I am with other people. Help me to be less distracted by the trivial, focusing instead on the people in the places where I am. Thank You for providing me with Your full presence and filling me with joy. Amen.
Notes from Dr. Mac
If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, I suggest you go to Bible Gateway. This free online version of the Bible allows a search of words or phrases in various translations. I encourage you to ponder Acts 2 verse 28 as you focus on being fully present in the fully present Lord.
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Reference
Anderson, C. H. (2025). Nature heals. Reader’s Digest, May/June, 54-63.
