"The first thing we often discover in solitude is our own restlessness, our drivenness, and compulsiveness, our urge to act quickly, to make an impact, and to have influence; and often we find it very hard to withstand the temptation to return as quickly as possible to the world of "relevance."  But when we persevere with the help of a gentle discipline, we slowly come to hear the still, small voice and to feel the gentle breeze, and so come to know the Lord of our heart, soul, and mind, the Lord who makes us see who we really are." (Henri Nouwen)

Do we sometimes feel we are running around in circles, spending an enormous amount of energy and feeling that we are not really better off? We say we don't have time for quiet and solitude. Is it that or are we afraid to be still for a period of time, just to regroup? We wonder where God is at times. We feel that he has abandoned us or left us to our own. God is always present to us. We are not always present to God. It is these times of solitude that we learn to enter into his presence, be still, and listen for that quiet, inner voice. Advent is a time for this grace. We can rush frantically towards Christmas and maybe miss the true coming of Christ. Or we can take time of quiet and solitude to prepare ourselves to be open for the grace of the moment, his presence.