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| (St. Marys, Monroe) |
In his beautiful little book The Way of the Heart Henri Nouwen writes: "Solitude is the place of the great struggle and the great encounter— the struggle against the compulsion of the false self, and the encounter with the loving God who offers himself as the substance of the new self."
In solitude with God one of the things that happens is soul-restoration. This is a stripping away of layers of cultural veneer so as to expose the original human "finish" which is: created in the image of God. Another thing that happens is heart-transformation, which is: the metamorphing of the subhuman self into a new creation. This is why Nouwen refers to solitude with God as "the furnace of spiritual transformation."
Intentionally spend much time alone with God, in a monotasked way, and you will be restored and transformed. God does this. He restores your soul. By his Spirit you will be changed into greater and greater Christlikeness.
In solitude with God one of the things that happens is soul-restoration. This is a stripping away of layers of cultural veneer so as to expose the original human "finish" which is: created in the image of God. Another thing that happens is heart-transformation, which is: the metamorphing of the subhuman self into a new creation. This is why Nouwen refers to solitude with God as "the furnace of spiritual transformation."
Intentionally spend much time alone with God, in a monotasked way, and you will be restored and transformed. God does this. He restores your soul. By his Spirit you will be changed into greater and greater Christlikeness.
