Loneliness

Loneliness exposes my self-pity. Alone, so it seems, unaware of the love of any and blinded by pity to the love and presence of God, selfishness is visible. When we see it, we readily justify its presence. It seems to us that if no one else will have pity on us, we must pity ourselves.

What we are when we are alone with God is the inmost character. Is God using loneliness to shape me now? How am I taking it? Alone as it seems, we are in the presence of God. Do I take full advantage of this divine audience? No. And so what if I cannot hear him speak? Shall I pity myself that even God won’t talk to me? It is my pity after all that refuses God’s voice and deafens my ear. First I must give up my right to pity and allow myself to die once more. Then I will find myself truly alone.

Lord, thank you for loneliness. Thank you for teaching me through its pain. Continue to cut and prune as your remove pity and kill self so that you can live in me!