Solitude

 

I have always been amazed at how young children can fall asleep in the middle of a crowded stadium with fans yelling at the top of their lungs. I learned from behavioral specialists that is actually a defense mechanism. When a child is over-sensitized, they simply shut down; they go to sleep.

As adults, we don’t have this same luxury. If we fall asleep in public places we are tagged as narcoleptic, insane, or dead. Another problem we face is that no one is there to carry us to our next destination. We are left with the reality that sleep will have to wait, the over-sensitization will have to be ignored, and then hope a time to relax will come soon.

Noise-cancelling AirPods help, but this is not the way to address the issue at hand. When we choose to not engage our world, any activity is seen as bothersome. There are basically two options which come to mind: 1) change the source of input (location/physical), or 2) engage yourself in the moment (relational/mental).

There is always a place for pulling away from the crowd; to seek solitude. We see this in the life of Jesus. He regularly spent time alone in communion with His Father. We need to do the same. However, we also need to engage our world. We need to allow intersections to occur in our life so we can meet other people, get exposed to new information, and share what we have learned with others. Life occurs at intersections. It's also a place where collisions happen. We have to learn to navigate the crossroads of life so we do not injure others or get harmed by others.

When you are depleted physically, emotionally, or spiritually, you have nothing to contribute to the time in the intersections. Times of solitude help prepare us for the intersections. It’s only when we have spent time being rejuvenated that we have something to offer in those “crossroads” moments of life.