Being an introvert with very solitary-friendly hobbies, thinking of others being depressed or lonely didn't really enter my consciousness during this lockdown. Now that we begin to reopen, and I get a bit more honest about the protective boundaries I put up through fear and discomfort, I can look at the darker side of the pandemic, where some people were in a sort of hell.
But being in solitude doesn't mean that we have to be lonely, melancholic, or entrapped in downward thinking. Being in solitude for extended periods of time can be the great reckoning where we turn to God and open our minds and hearts to the possibility of being transformed into a person who takes a circumstance, and shifts it into an opportunity.
Freedom comes to us when we don't need too much outside of ourselves to be happy. Of course we still need resources. If I didn't have the Internet, ability to go to the grocery store, or a few close friends during this time, my experience in this pandemic would have been a lot more grim. But I trust that God would provide for me. Where I wouldn't have Internet, I would have books, where I wouldn't have opportunity to pick up supplies, I would ask my neighbours or church for help, and where I wouldn't have loved ones, I would have helplines and my fur-family. Part of being in solitude includes having the beautiful resource of time to problem-solve.
What I have learned the past three months is that God will not let me down. God will be with me always. I realize today that this is a promise that has withstood loneliness, financial fear, and even the prospect of death (getting my dad sick) during this bizarre and eye-opening time.
Being in solitude matured me spiritually, financially, physically, and emotionally. It helped me reset, regroup, and reevaluate. It showed me who I want my friends to be, and who I can now finally let go of. It gave me the perspective to figure out my priorities, which up until this time lacked balance. It also opened my heart to more compassion, forgiveness, and understanding. I got to see that we all have different personal realities, and to respect others more sincerely.
There will be a lot of healing to be done as the world reopens, but solitude and being still with God is where the bulk of the recovery will rest. Solitude does not need to be feared, it is ultimately where the greatest peace, reconciliation, and answers will be found. During alone time we are afforded the chance to simplify and return to a pre-traumatic, pre-chaotic, and pre-distorted world, and where we can now make decisions based on what is best for the new reality that we want to create and live in.
But being in solitude doesn't mean that we have to be lonely, melancholic, or entrapped in downward thinking. Being in solitude for extended periods of time can be the great reckoning where we turn to God and open our minds and hearts to the possibility of being transformed into a person who takes a circumstance, and shifts it into an opportunity.
Freedom comes to us when we don't need too much outside of ourselves to be happy. Of course we still need resources. If I didn't have the Internet, ability to go to the grocery store, or a few close friends during this time, my experience in this pandemic would have been a lot more grim. But I trust that God would provide for me. Where I wouldn't have Internet, I would have books, where I wouldn't have opportunity to pick up supplies, I would ask my neighbours or church for help, and where I wouldn't have loved ones, I would have helplines and my fur-family. Part of being in solitude includes having the beautiful resource of time to problem-solve.
What I have learned the past three months is that God will not let me down. God will be with me always. I realize today that this is a promise that has withstood loneliness, financial fear, and even the prospect of death (getting my dad sick) during this bizarre and eye-opening time.
Being in solitude matured me spiritually, financially, physically, and emotionally. It helped me reset, regroup, and reevaluate. It showed me who I want my friends to be, and who I can now finally let go of. It gave me the perspective to figure out my priorities, which up until this time lacked balance. It also opened my heart to more compassion, forgiveness, and understanding. I got to see that we all have different personal realities, and to respect others more sincerely.
There will be a lot of healing to be done as the world reopens, but solitude and being still with God is where the bulk of the recovery will rest. Solitude does not need to be feared, it is ultimately where the greatest peace, reconciliation, and answers will be found. During alone time we are afforded the chance to simplify and return to a pre-traumatic, pre-chaotic, and pre-distorted world, and where we can now make decisions based on what is best for the new reality that we want to create and live in.
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| Build a new reality rooted in love |
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