My new daughter-in-law, Maggie T. Keller, wrote a great post on her struggle to embrace the spiritual discipline of solitude.
Our culture as a whole seems to wrestle with solitude. We seem to value the loud and boisterous over the quiet and contemplative. The extrovert seems to receive the recognition and affirmation; the introvert seems forgotten. I grew up wanting to be an extrovert and worked hard to become a gregarious person.
After seminary a counselor once challenged my perception. “You’ve learned to behave as an extrovert, but I think you really are at heart an introvert.” I didn’t like his challenge at first, but over the years, I have learned the wisdom of embrace my introverted self. I am one who can be alone, hiking in the mountains or running along a river trail. Solitude restores my ability to listen to God’s still, small voice. “Be still and know that I am God,” Psalm 46:10.
Lord Jesus, be my peace.
Pastor John Keller 