In "Other" Words
This week's quote is:
"As Christians, we are called to convert our loneliness into solitude. We are called to experience our aloneness not as a wound but as a gift--as God's gift--so that in our aloneness we might discover how deeply we are loved by God."
~ Henri Nouwen ~
Most of my life I was active, involved with extra curricular activities during my school years, then participating in almost every church activity I could find to do - mostly because I was afraid to be alone with myself and God.
You see, being alone with myself would have forced me to examine the hurts, the fears, the doubts and inner “secrets” I had harbored in my heart. All my energy was devoted to keeping those things buried.
But there came a time, when the energy was exhausted and those buried traumas were beginning to break through the surface of my life, affecting how I related to others, myself and God. He brought me to a place in my life where I was forced to set aside all the activity to be alone with Him and the hurts inside.
Only when I was truly alone with Him could the healing work begin. It was there in the void left by the cessation of activity that I began to hear His voice. For the first time I heard Him say I was worth the time and energy He was investing in me. I learned to know His unconditional healing love as He helped me unearth all the ugliness and shame I had hidden inside.
It took a long time to haul out the garbage in my heart from my damaged emotions and the hurts left by the careless acts of others. But I began to value the solitude – the peaceful time of fellowship between my Lord and me as He reverently handled each of my hurts before healing them. His presence was so soft and comforting, so near and precious.
That kind of closeness to God can only be found in solitude – precious time spent alone with Him, where everything else is pushed aside and there is nothing to hinder His words to your heart. It is the only place we can truly “discover how deeply we are loved by God.”
If you would like to join us today, simply blog about the qupte on your site, then visit Christine at "Fruit in Season" to read her take on the quote and to leave your link along with the other participants.
This week's quote is:
"As Christians, we are called to convert our loneliness into solitude. We are called to experience our aloneness not as a wound but as a gift--as God's gift--so that in our aloneness we might discover how deeply we are loved by God."
~ Henri Nouwen ~
Most of my life I was active, involved with extra curricular activities during my school years, then participating in almost every church activity I could find to do - mostly because I was afraid to be alone with myself and God.
You see, being alone with myself would have forced me to examine the hurts, the fears, the doubts and inner “secrets” I had harbored in my heart. All my energy was devoted to keeping those things buried.
But there came a time, when the energy was exhausted and those buried traumas were beginning to break through the surface of my life, affecting how I related to others, myself and God. He brought me to a place in my life where I was forced to set aside all the activity to be alone with Him and the hurts inside.
Only when I was truly alone with Him could the healing work begin. It was there in the void left by the cessation of activity that I began to hear His voice. For the first time I heard Him say I was worth the time and energy He was investing in me. I learned to know His unconditional healing love as He helped me unearth all the ugliness and shame I had hidden inside.
It took a long time to haul out the garbage in my heart from my damaged emotions and the hurts left by the careless acts of others. But I began to value the solitude – the peaceful time of fellowship between my Lord and me as He reverently handled each of my hurts before healing them. His presence was so soft and comforting, so near and precious.
That kind of closeness to God can only be found in solitude – precious time spent alone with Him, where everything else is pushed aside and there is nothing to hinder His words to your heart. It is the only place we can truly “discover how deeply we are loved by God.”
If you would like to join us today, simply blog about the qupte on your site, then visit Christine at "Fruit in Season" to read her take on the quote and to leave your link along with the other participants.
8 comments:
Bless you for sharing such a lovely post.
Lovely post Bonnie. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Bonnie, as I was reading your post these words from a song popped into my head "how deep the father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure..."
blessings.
You must be an extrovert. I found it much safer to face the hurts inside than to face others with the realization that I wasn't perfect and I didn't have it together. Being with others required too much emotional work ~
"It took a long time to haul out the garbage in my heart"
So true! The potter has loving hands though!
We all need to be "de-junked" don't we. Thanks for sharing another powerful post.
What an awesome testimony of the love of God and the courage to be obedient to Him even when it is uncomfortable or unfamiliar territory.
Heavenly Voice
You are the first to post about activity and busyness as a way to hide from our feelings and hurts. I think we all do that. Aloneness can be a scary thing if we're not sure we want to confront ourselves. Thanks for posting this week!
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