“The Lord God said:
It isn’t good for a man (person) to live alone." ~ Genesis
2:18
Shawn loved the solitude of a trout
stream or a good book, and every now and then, when life got too crazy, he’d
wish everyone would just leave him alone.
“Our busy world is demanding; there’s nothing wrong with sitting back
and enjoying the silence once in a while,” he thought to the only heart beating
in his house.
Then his life’s journey met an inflection point.
A few years back he was isolated from people after drinking
radioactive iodine as a treatment for papillary cancer. No visitors, not even
the doctor (who stood behind a lead screen at the door to talk with Shawn).
The first few hours were calm, peaceful, and untroubled. Soon though, he needed human contact. Though periods of solitude are a welcome
respite from ‘busyness,’ the truth is, something happens to people when they’re
totally isolated.
No one else could relate to the seclusion he
experienced. As his struggle
intensified, Shawn found himself pulling away from even those he cared about;
blocking out the stress and emotional turmoil boiling within. Amid the fear, confusion, and uncertainty, he
felt utterly alone.
Yes, there were those who tried to empathize, offer their
suggestions or ways they could relate, but it always fell short of any real
solace. No one could truly enter into
the pain, heartache, and loneliness that grew within his heart.
After months of sheltering at home, Shawn recovered; forever
changed by the experience. Quite
surprisingly, he discovered an appreciation for the deserted road he’d been forced
to travel.
For with it came a greater understanding of what it meant to
be a follower of Jesus Christ and to know him not only as his Savior, but his
comforter and redeemer. He learned that
it wasn’t until his worldly comforts got stripped away that he began to
experience the true depth, length, and height of God’s love.
Friends, by removing the earthly comfort of those around us,
the Lord moves us in one of two directions: towards a deeper intimacy with Him,
or towards the unveiling of an unrepentant heart, one which ultimately desires
comfort more than Christ.
He allows this time in our lives for a season to draw you
nearer to Him and to drive us deeper into his Word and prayer in search of a
hope-filled and life-giving oneness with Him. Christ knows we cannot find true and lasting
comfort in anyone but Him.
Some of you have been asked to walk incredibly painful,
lonely roads. My hope is that you will
be encouraged, strengthened, and determined not to give way to the fallacy of
the loneliness of pain, allowing it instead to magnify the gospel in your life.
Father God, Lord of heaven and earth, in these
times of isolation, apart from loved ones distant from friends and away from
neighbors, thank You that there is nothing in all of creation that is able to
separate us from Your love. Amen
