Loneliness is part of the human condition, and all of us will experience it at times whether we are married or single, lay or religious. Also, knowing how to interact with others is an important skill for religious life. After all, it is a community-based life where cooperation, negotiation, communication, and compromise are important skills. If Ruth's motivation is to find instant friendship, she will be disappointed. Sisters struggle with the same issues inside the convent as outside.
Social skills are an important part of community life and ministry.
Loneliness is not a substantial reason or proper motivation for entering religious life. He started realizing the danger he had put himself in and turned his life around. On a weekend retreat, Tom had an experience of God's forgiving love. In the flush of this positive experience, he went for an HIV test and promised that if he were spared, he would devote his life to God. Tom's test results were negative.