I love times of solitude.

Days drifting around the house while humming along to the music that I’m listening to… talking with the Lord about things…reflecting.

I’ve noticed, at least in my own life, that often it’s in those times of solitude that I experience His closeness even more – a time of going deeper with Him. Who do we talk to when there’s no one else there? He is there. He longs for us to stop and talk with Him. What happens when we stop and listen to Him? He shows us things.

There’s something about this time of solitude that helps me to refocus on Him. There’s something about a time of reflection within the solitude that sits us down to face things maybe we’ve been overlooking or ignoring.

It’s funny because I used to be alone a lot more than I am these days, but I never felt this kind of calm stillness then. I was living a life of self-protection.

But now, life is different. I don’t hide away all the time as I once did, and I’m not feeling the need to protect my alone time in such a way as I did before. I’m doing things I would have never enjoyed doing before. Somehow my capacity for these kinds things has increased as I’ve stepped out. I actually want to be around the people in my life.

But sometimes the Lord knows I need to be quiet and still with Him. A refocusing and refreshing. Then after these times, of course, He nudges me back in to the world because He knows it’s good for me not to stay here all the time. I’ll get stuck in an unhealthy solitude as my default if I’m not listening and following His leading me back out into “life”.

I’ve had a couple of days at home alone not seeing or talking to another human being face to face, and it’s been an interesting time of reflection, an interesting time of facing things and taking them before the Lord, but I can tell that He is gearing me up to head back out.

I love how He knows my heart so well. He knows what I need.

–Heather