"We enter into solitude first of all to meet our Lord and to be with him and him alone. Our primary task in solitude, therefore, is not to pay undue attention to the many faces that assail us, but to keep the eyes of our mind and heart on him who is our divine savior. Only in the context of grace can we face our sin; only in the place of healing do we dare to show our wounds; only with a single-minded attention to Christ can we give up our clinging fears and face our own true nature. As we come to realize that it is not we who live, but Christ who lives in us, that he is our true self, we can slowly let our compulsions melt away and begin to experience the freedom of the children of God. And then we can look back with a smile and realize that we aren’t even angry or greedy anymore." (Henri Nouwen)

Many are afraid of this type of solitude. They are afraid that Jesus will not be there or that he will be silent. Maybe then we are going into this time of solitude for the wrong reasons. We are going to be fixed by God, so we can return to our real life. If these are our thoughts, then we may find solitude a waste of time. But, if we are going into this time of solitude to be with God for God's sake primarily, then our purpose will be fulfilled. It is a time of praise and thanksgiving of the One who is the center of our being and who sustains us in being. And if God is our focus and not ourselves, then we may experience God in a way we could never expect, while at the same time experience his loving care and healing in a way we did not have to ask. Jesus invites us into this solitude with him.