The Power of Getting AWAY

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Time and nature, as experienced alone in the wilderness, are like huge hands massaging the soul and the mind, altering perception like a good massage therepist alters the condition of muscles.” – Burke Miller

The father of a friend of mine in my men’s group at church had a book published in 2005 titled, “Exploring the Power of Solo, Silence, and Solitude.”(Clifford E. Knapp, Editor, Thomas E. Smith, Editor) I have been borrowing it this week, and it is both fascinating, and a little sad. Fascinating because all these author see the value of getting alone to shake off the busyness and activity of life that robs us of the ability to truly LIVE. Sad because they don’t know how to connect with the Creator of all the nature and beauty they find so refreshing and rejouvenating.

Let me share some more awesome quotes from the book:

“Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” Pablo Picasso

Our work for Christ is of the UTMOST “seriousness” – do we take the time to get alone with God and seek His direction?

“Why do I do this? … I do this for some reason that remains half-hidden from me, that keeps surprising me. I do it to burn up the dross that collects in my soul. I do it to burn up my forgetfulness and sloppy ways of living. I do it to remember simple gratitude.” – Amidon

When we do not take time alone, we do not take time to reflect. When we fail to reflect, we will fail to change. When we fail to change, we will fail to grow. When we fail to grow, we stop truly living. It is critical to our soul to get alone and allow God to speak to us! But most of us (and me for too many years) are too busy to hear God over the noise of our activity.

“It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion, it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who, in the midst of the world, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” – Emerson

To be ‘in the world but not of it’ requires that we step out of it long enough to allow God to shape us in His image. Then, and only then, are we able to step back into the world and shape IT, rather than be shaped BY it.

“I only went for a walk and finally concluded to stay out, til sundown for going out, I found, was really going in.” – Muir

When was the last time you were truly ALONE. I’ve often made the joke, “Do you realize, no one has ever been with you when you were alone?” But the truth is, Someone was! It has often been said, ‘God is a gentleman.’ He does not interrupt you, He does not stand in your path and demand attention. He simply waits. Perhaps that is why Psalmist suggested:

“Be still and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10

I’m looking forward to being in Yosemite in less than a month now. We will have some great times of fellowship, but there will be some times of intentional solitude as well.

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