It's OK for Lent to be a struggle. Christ never promised us fame, riches, or happiness in this life, but rather suffering poverty and sacrifice. The desert of lent helps us discern the need for God. We must realize in most cases the desert is more of a path then a place for us to live. If we follow in the path of Christ, that is in His Way of the Cross, we find not a crown of gold but a crown of thorns.