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Jason.

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Jason is the founder of Ignite Student Ministries, a dynamic ministry igniting youth, young adults and university students to passionately pursue Christ and transform society in high schools, work places and universities around the world.

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Withdrawing to Lonely Places

Jason VanaJason Vana

Last week was a bit rough on me.

Not only was I still recovering from jet lag (waking up at 5:30 a.m. every morning was NOT fun), but I also had eight hour long meetings at the part time job (with no breaks), a rush graphic design project that had me busy every night, mission trip finances to reconcile (conversion rates are not my forte), personal finances to figure out, bills to pay, emails to respond to, pictures to upload, house work that needed done, shopping to do (I do like to eat once in a while) and a list a mile long of blogs to read, books to finish and writing that needed done. To top it off, I found out my grandma is back in the hospital and that we may have to make a very tough decision today.

It was rough.
It burnt me out.
And I needed a break.

So this weekend, I withdrew. I went to see a movie. I went out to eat. I did some work in the yard. I laid around, watched some movies, read some books, and generally tried to be lazy. I spent time alone, did things I wanted to do, had extended time I spent with God and, as of Saturday, tried to avoid human contact as much as possible.

Because I’m the type of person who can go, go, go, but when I hit that wall, when I get to that point where it’s all too much, I withdraw. I pull away. I go off on my own and try to recharge.

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” – Luke 5:16

There is something about the lonely places, something about those seasons or circumstance in our lives where we find ourselves mostly alone. We don’t always like them, we don’t always rejoice in being by ourselves, we don’t jump up and down for joy in the lonely places.

But we grow.

Because it’s in the lonely places where we come face to face with our true selves.

There’s no one to impress. No one to admire. No one to look to, draw from, or get encouragement from. We can’t fill that need for acceptance from a loved one, friend, or acquaintance. We can’t get that shot of validation from that person we wish would just like us. We don’t get the constant reassurance that we are wanted, desired and loved.

It’s just you, yourself….and God.

And that can be scary.

Because we know our faults. We know our flaws. We know the ways we stumble and fall and miss the mark. We know the depths of darkness within our hearts.

And we can’t cover that up when we’re alone.

But it’s in those lonely places where the deepest work happens. It’s in those times of being alone where we can come face to face with ourselves….

and begin to like who we are.

Because it’s in those lonely places where God shows up, and begins his greatest work in our lives.

Jason is the founder of Ignite Student Ministries, a dynamic ministry igniting youth, young adults and university students to passionately pursue Christ and transform society in high schools, work places and universities around the world.