Here at Quaker Hill Conference Center I sit at a table overlooking a tangle of trees visited by cardinals. Here is a room exemplifying simplicity. I brought food, clothing, journal and writing materials. Everything else I need is here, yet there is nothing extraneous. I thank God for those who, recognizing the value of solitude, donated time and money to create this place.
Many people find answers to their questions by talking with friends or pastors.
I have done that too. But once I spent five months mostly in solitude and I know that visiting with myself and no one else opened me to God's love. I experienced that love so fully, that my soul was stretched. For days I could do nothing but thank and praise and sing hymns. Unlike Jesus, I could not sustain that perfect love and gradually over two months, contracted back to a more usual way of being.