Traveling Solo. Reclaim Your Time With God in Sanctified Solitudeਨਮੂਨਾ

If you’ve ever felt the urge to plan a solo trip and follow through, you know how overwhelming it can be. You have friends, family, and even your fears shouting into your subconscious what you should and shouldn’t do. While you desire to spend quiet time alone with God and enjoy His beautifully designed creation without interruptions, you also understand that this requires careful planning, vigilance, and research.

I’ve always been quite the risk-taker. When I was 21, I packed my two young children and a few belongings into a two-door car and moved to Yankton, South Dakota, with $800, no home, and no job, to be near my then-husband. I had no idea where we would live; I just trusted that everything would work out. Thank God it did! But there have been other times when, during my free moments and with a few extra dollars, I would book an impromptu trip and leave town, hoping to experience more of God’s creation. But trauma changes you. Trauma strips away your sense of adventure and optimistic spirit, replacing them with fear that anticipates the worst possible scenarios before you see the good outcomes.

Since my divorce and the unexpected loss of my daughter to SIDS, the Spirit of fear and rejection dominated my life until God set me free. Whenever I traveled to speak or traveled alone for leisure, deep sorrow and pity were the burdens I carried. I knew God was with me because He opened doors and even provided the resources for me to go. Still, I couldn’t shake this overwhelming feeling of “you are alone.”

Although I would be away in beautiful places with stunning views and scenery for the first year, my heart would always ache for companionship. For most of my twenties and early thirties, I had a partner to share life with. So, it was challenging to adjust to solitude, and at times, the loneliness would pierce my heart. But I didn’t let that stop me; I would go it alone, trusting that God would provide refuge for my emotional state and safety for my protection. I also firmly believe that as believers, we are never alone, as we have the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and divine encounters with strangers that would affirm that God’s hand is evident in our lives.

One day, in 2020, while sitting in the airport, it felt as if I was surrounded by families, couples, and even small children. The imagery reflected what I lacked. The underlying fear that fueled this imagery, or the story the enemy was whispering, was that “you won’t experience a healthy marriage.” As I boarded the plane, tears filled my eyes, and I began to pray, “Lord, I know that you desire us to be content in whatever state we find ourselves in, according to your word, but this is too hard for me. Please help me find joy this season so that I won’t focus on the vacancies in my life but instead divert my attention to your peace as I wait.” As I sat down, I drifted into rest, trusting that God had heard every word my lonely heart muttered that day.

The following day, God revealed that He was up to something much greater than just filling a void in my life. He would teach me how to sanctify my solitude so I could use those seasons and the intentional time away from everyone and everything familiar to strengthen my relationship with Him and learn to trust God’s sustaining power during a season of singleness. The main goal was to help me continue trusting, even when fear was evident due to circumstances.

We see this principle of trusting God and abiding in His peace repeatedly in scripture. In the Old Testament, there is a young prophet named Elijah, who is called to deliver a message to a rebellious people. As a solo traveler, God had used Elijah during a drought to call down fire in a showdown to prove God’s power over Baal. But after Elijah’s victory, Jezebel threatened him, and he succumbed to the fear of “feeling alone.” God led Elijah to a place where He could speak to him. Elijah responded with this: “'And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” (1 Kings 19:10 KJV ).

Elijah was never truly alone because God’s power and purpose had protected him thus far. So, why did he fall into disillusionment? Because he let what he heard, and the fear of 'what-ifs', override his memories. Sometimes, God needs to bring you to a solitary place to show you that your safety isn’t in the relationships you've built, but in God’s omnipresence that goes before you.

Over the next few days, we will explore what Sanctified Solitude can look like in your life and why Jesus’ life was the ultimate example of using our quiet time to seek God’s purpose.

Be encouraged.