Today, I met with the ladies for the Practicing Solitude gathering. We all come from very different backgrounds, age groups, and lifestyles.

Yet, when we share our struggles on the spiritual journey, it feels like we are almost the same person. In a church with hundreds of members, only three signed up for this group, allowing us to have deep conversations and really get to know each other. I can’t deny that this is an intentional arrangement by God.

I feel loved and honored.

Today I learned that solitude is not just a peaceful space where we find comfort and healing from God, but also a critical battlefield where we encounter and fight our inner demons.

When we lack the practice, experience, and closeness of solitude, it creates a distance that makes us reluctant and afraid to go there.

The fact that the human mind can’t stop thinking is probably the biggest resistance to dwelling in solitude. Thinking is our biggest advantage but also the biggest barrier for our hearts to reach God because God only lives in the heart.

With all that going through my mind, the biggest takeaway for me today is that when we thrive in solitude, we gain strength and real power as a soul from the quiet place. 

Something I want to carve into my heart from today’s gathering is that the real battles are never the ones we can see, but the unseen ones within the heart.

Instead of hustle for my future, blame the ones who make it worrisome and fight whoever is in the way. I need to bring the battle back to my heart, fight the root of my fear.