Isolation as Preparation

This picture is one of my favorites spots in the whole world. It is located in Kalkaska, MI, Carrie’s hometown, and though I give her a hard time about the city it really is quite a nice place to visit, especially her parent’s house. They live on a somewhat secluded piece of land which allows Shadow and I to take peaceful walks. My walks usually bring me to this place pictured. Though I am not positive, I assume that these pine trees were planted in these long rows with the hope of one day cutting them down for the lumber. I don’t know when or if this will happen, but for the moment I am not overly concerned.

For the moment, this place is holy ground for me. There is no one else around. I have seen squirrels, deer, and other small creatures in this area but that is all. Just the animals, the wind and the trees. Speaking of the wind, an amazing phenomenon occurs. As the wind whips through these treetops, it sounds like a parade of cars swooping down upon me. Then just as quickly as the volume level rises, it is silent again. Only the crunching of my feet on the snow.

This place is peace. This place is tranquility. It is in my personality to want to spend the rest of my life here. I have little desire to be around people, especially with my cynical attitude about humanity. But though there is no desire, there is need. We all have an innate need to be in community. Isolation can be fruitful for a time, but in the long run it leads down paths that we should not go, and definitely not alone.

Even Jesus would go off on his own to pray. One can assume that he went to be reenergized, to just bask in the presence of God. And even on his most frustrating days, Jesus would return to his disciples and eventually back to the people. We also read the account on the Mount of Transfiguration. And though this was a good place (we might say unbelievably great) it was not the spot at which they should stay. It was affirmation and preparation for the task at hand.

Those quiet times of solitude in our lives, no matter how great or enticing, are not the end. They are a resting point along the way that drives us forward to complete the journey.