When I think of the Trinity, I am filled with hope. It represents harmony, a sense of belonging, and abiding love. There was a period of time in my early life in which I experienced the opposite, isolation.
I was born into a blended family with two half-brothers who are 9 and 11 years older than me. As an extrovert, I initially thrived in our family of 5. I loved the activities that my brothers brought into our home: the many projects associated with their pursuit of earning Boy Scout Badges, their high school fundraising dance held at our house with a live band, and their Senior Proms.
After high school, each brother moved far away to college, and my life drastically changed. Fun activities and new people no longer swirled through our home like a fresh, invigorating breeze. I mourned the absence of each brother as they left home, and in turn grieved the loss of fun that they added to our family. I changed from being the youngest child to an only child, and I did not like it.
At the same time, it seemed like my 7-year-old behavior suddenly received an increased amount of scrutiny and disciplinary action. I still do not fully understand why, but I was not allowed to invite friends over. And it became difficult to be allowed to go out to a friend’s house. I found myself spending more and more time by myself, and not by my choice. The important truth was that I hated the unending quiet. I found myself stuck in my head, thinking over and over about how to navigate this difficult new environment. This was the start of my battle against isolation, and I know God did not create me to live that way. As an adult, I sought out the sanctuary of church communities. I learned that isolation is a lie and is an enemy to resist with the effective weapon of community!
I recently heard an analogy, author unknown, that describes our relationship with God with this word picture: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each seated at a separate side of a small square table, conversing and enjoying each other’s company. The analogy describes them as welcoming you to join them for blessed fellowship at the open fourth side. This is a life-giving, and for me, life-saving invitation!
Even God did not want to be alone. God chose to live in the community that is the Trinity, rather than live alone. And I live in community with the Trinity by figuratively sitting my life at the fourth side of our table each day. That’s my idea of a wonderful time! A group to belong in and contribute to. That thought makes all the difference in my life: to be invited and claimed by God.
Song of Solomon 2:16 NKJV
“My beloved is mine, and I am His.”
As a post-middle-aged adult living by myself for the last several years, I once again have an overabundance of quiet. And as an extrovert, I have to work hard to not allow that alone time to deteriorate into the toxic climate of isolation. I’m most comfortable being around people. Social interaction, such as a lively conversation, recharges my battery and invigorates me. Too much alone time stresses and drains me, causing my anxiety level to rise. I know I need to place myself in communal activities to keep a healthy and positive attitude. God designed the acts of helping others to also boomerang the blessings back to us, in so many ways.
Romans 12:1-2 MSG
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life, - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, and develops well-formed maturity in you.”
I realized that a lot of my thought time was spent in worrying about what might go wrong. By focusing on God and what He says, I can have healthy and holy solitude. This solitude helps me to follow God’s program for my life, which is already in progress. As I wait upon the Lord and cooperate with His plan, my needless worries can fade away. I share my burdens with God and spend my time meditating on His gift of hope to me, and what a life-changing gift that is!
Philippians 4:8-9 MSG
“Summing it all up friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into His most excellent harmonies.”
During a time of sweet solitude, God revealed to me that I had already witnessed a perfect example of how loving and intimate my relationship with Him can be. I remembered that on a beautiful sunny day last summer, I was walking in my neighborhood on a long, straight street with multiple bus stops. I thought nothing of a bus as it passed me, until I saw the following series of events.
Across the street, I noticed a young mother and her very young child, about a block away, walking towards me. As I observed them walking, I heard the whoosh of the bus’s brakes behind me and after a short pause, I heard the engine roar as it accelerated and continued on its route. The child’s voice soon cried out in joy and waved her arms at something behind me, also on the opposite side of the street. Brimming with curiosity, I quickly turned on my heel to see an older woman walking away from the bus stop and towards them. I noticed the older woman smile as the little girl happily shouted “Grandma, Grandma!”
The family was close enough to each other now, that the Grandma stopped, and knelt down on the sidewalk with her arms flung open wide. The child’s happy squeal was followed by the rapid sound of small shoes hitting the sidewalk as the little girl ran. With happy anticipation, I watched the girl reach her much desired destination and fling herself into her Grandma’s open arms. The ensuing hugs, kisses, and affirmations of love put a lump in my throat. In the midst of this moment, God figuratively tapped me on the shoulder and told me I can receive this kind of love from Him whenever I want. My heart swelled with hope as I felt His love surround me, and I realized my current life situation and my future were so much brighter than I have been willing to believe.
I leave you with this thought: whenever you feel discouraged or alone and in need of a hug, remember the word picture I just described. Imagine Jesus standing in front of you with a smile on His face and His arms open wide. I encourage you to feel yourself running towards Him, and then feel the most loving and affirming embrace you have ever felt. This is one of the many gifts God wants to give to us daily. Will you take some time to bless yourself with His abundant love today?
About the Author
Sara has attended CitySalt Church since 2004, the year it was founded. She studied Journalism, wrote for her college newspaper, and is a member of Oregon Christian Writers. Sara also enjoys singing hymns with friends: “there is a sermon in every hymn waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.”