Practicing Solitude

Someone sneakily took this picture of Eric in solitude, unbeknownst to him :)

If I had to pick the two words that have been most impactful throughout my first few months as a fellow I would choose slow and down. SLOW DOWN. The practice of solitude and being alone with God is one that I have come to depend on in this season more than I ever have. Having consistent time to be alone with our Lord, to be still and sit in His presence, has been so crucial in my relationship with our Lord. I am grateful that JD and Madison have consistently made such an effort to reiterate the practice of solitude (shoutout to the mountain retreat and the Marohn’s). 

This time allows for my heart and mind to align with the Lord, and with the help of the Spirit, to see the goodness of God seeping into the mundane of everyday life. This time enables me to notice God’s creativity as the sunrise peeks over the treeline each morning, to work diligently as I bag up an excessive amount of bagels at work, or to see each person throughout the day as image bearers of God.

This time alone with God really allows me to be present in all these other areas. Additionally, solitude allows time to process all of the many things I am learning through the program and to really soak in these truths. The Lord has shown up big time for me in solitude. 

Through our courses on sacramental theology, creation theology, and the old testament, I have come to understand how much God cares about His physical creation and how He cares about our relationship with this creation. God reveals His love and grace in so many ways throughout our daily lives and it is so easy to miss these things. So solitude helps create space for my heart and mind to be aligned with God. It truly has opened my eyes to experience our Lord in a much deeper way. I praise the God who continually pursues me despite my inconsistencies and brokenness. To my teachers, thank you for allowing yourselves to be used by God in this way. Thank you for the time you faithfully invested to point me to Christ, it was not fruitless. 

And to you reading this, s.l.o.w. d.o.w.n.

-Eric Mays

Fellows tending to creation at New Garden Farm.