The demands just keep demanding

Solitude and Social Needs

When you don’t have time for either

Photo by Marc Smith [CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

Does it seem to you that it is harder and harder to get enough “alone” time to get close to God? Does it also seem to you that it is harder and harder to get enough social time to strengthen your bonds?

Surely I’m not the only one sensing this. In our current society, we all seem to just be busy all the time. That means we neither truly connect with people nor get needed solitude.

I’m an introvert. I need alone time to recharge. So, I’ve been particularly aware of the difficulty of getting that. Lots of things interfere.

• Demands constantly interrupt. If I have a few minutes of solitude, the phone rings or a text comes through, or one of Hannah’s devices alarms.
• Duties call. Somehow it seems selfish to take a few minutes for myself when I have so many things that need doing. Yet, I know the wisdom of renewal and sabbath. It serves others if I make sure I am rested enough to be effective. Still, duty keeps calling.
• Media constantly fill what would otherwise be silence. The temptation to pick up a device, turn on a TV, or turn on a radio is strong.