Isolation

A few days after moving into the dorm, I was waiting for the elevator on my floor when a voice called out to me from the room next to the elevator. There was a young woman sitting on her bed reading the Bible. Her room happened to be a single, and I was a bit envious. She didn't like not having a roommate, but I thought it would be ideal. I liked to have my own private space and a chance to be alone. I didn't mind being isolated. She preferred to be around people and often kept her door open so she could see everyone passing by.
     We talked for a while; the normal introductory chit-chat: what's your major, what year are you, where are you from? It turned out we were both from the same area and she attended church about ten minutes from my house. She invited me to go to her church with her the next time I went home. For some reason, I hemmed and hawed. That's when I realized I hadn't packed my Bible to take to college which was really strange. I figured it was just all of the excitement of moving away and being on my own, but I hadn't even realized it, which means I hadn't thought about reading it since I got there.
     I found myself avoiding this young woman even though we seemed to have a lot in common and she was really friendly. She went home every weekend, but I never asked her for a ride. I was deliberately avoiding her because she was always in the Word, always sharing her faith and I knew I was slipping away from mine.
     All of my dreams and expectations of getting out on my own, going to college, living in a big city were falling apart. Even then, I didn't go to God in prayer. I was isolating myself from Him, the church, the church family. I don't know why and I don't even know when or how it happened exactly. It was gradual and there were many opportunities to go back, but my desires were becoming stronger than my faith and I couldn't pursue those desires and continue in the faith because I knew, deep down, that they were displeasing to God.
     We need to encourage our young people to keep returning to church so they are surrounded by loving, caring Christians. We need to provide a way for them to remain engaged with the church and still give them the extra time and space they need to adjust to whatever their new normal is. I think this can be done easily by following up with each individual, planning get-togethers around their schedules and allowing them to minister and be ministered to by the church family.
     There are so many introverts like me who just want to be alone most of the time, which is fine, but it's extremely important to come out of isolation and interact with our Christian family on a regular basis. Reach out to someone in isolation, a recent graduate who may be tempted to pursue desires during this important transitional period of their lives.

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; 

he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Proverbs 18:1 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for our 2019 graduates. Pray for the success of their spiritual future just as you would for their educational or vocational success.
I'll share some of my experience during that period of my life and will post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power