Discover The Gift of Solitude

Dear Darlene,

If I were to stay in our home with my man and my baby, I would be completely happy, but when I go out with my friends or go to our church, I feel so lost and like I don't have a friend in the world besides Jesus, my husband, and our child.

I guess I am at a stage in my life where there are a lot of changes and while I am trying to keep up, I’m not succeeding. There is obviously more to my story, but I'm sitting here crying as I type, and I finally feel like God is giving me a hope for something (though I don't even know what I've been looking for) to hang onto.

It may take me some time to read back through your blog posts, but I will try! I've signed up to receive them by email. I just felt I needed to share this with someone--you specifically. Thank you for sharing your heart and your views and your values.

Hope


Dear Hope,

I wanted to share your letter with my readers, because I suspect that a lot of women have felt the same way you do—I know that I have. Sometimes I feel like I'm all alone in this world. Even in a crowd I feel like people don't see me.

I wrote an article a while back called, “A Moment with Him,” that I'd like to encourage you to read. It's about a day when I drove, and I cried, and I wiped tears away from my face. I was lonely, but in that moment of isolation I felt God’s gentle whisper as He said, “I want to spend this time with you.”

That’s when I realized this time that we see as abandonment from the world is often a gift that goes unnoticed, until life slows down and we have a chance to look back. Not a wound waiting to be healed. Not a space needing to be filled--a gift of time spent alone with our Lord.

Language has created the word “loneliness”
to express the pain of being alone.
And it has created the word “solitude”
to express the glory of being alone.
~ Paul Tillich

Perhaps that's what's happening to you. Could it be that God is allowing this trial for a purpose? Maybe it's so that you dedicate your time to being the best mom and wife you can be. Maybe it's so that you step deeper into a relationship with God. Or maybe He is emptying your life for something greater than either you or I could imagine...

I don’t know the mind of God, but I do know that our cups can't be filled until they are empty. Empty of all this world has to offer. Use this time of solitude to trust--enjoy your family and rejoice knowing that He has more for you than you could ever hope for yourself.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee:
be not dismayed; for I am thy God:
I will strengthen thee; yea,
I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee
with the right hand of my righteousness.
~ Isaiah 41:10
A reader has also directed me to this post on the same subject that is wonderfully written and comforting for those of us who are feeling alone: When You Feel Lonely

You are loved by an almighty God,

Darlene

For comments or questions, contact me at:
darlene[at]darleneschacht.net

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