Gladitude: Solitary Style

This past Friday into Saturday roughly from 1 p.m. to 1 p.m., I took 24 hours and holed away in solitude. Duuuuude, it was great. It was short and yet long enough. I felt lifted and filled. And fresh and new. God is so good.

We have a beach house on the south end of Whidbey Island, an island in Puget Sound, snuggled between the mainland and the Kitsap Penninsula. We are more than fortunate to have this house, and wish we could spend more time there each time we come. It's an hour and 15-30 minutes from our home-home, and that includes a 20+ minute ferry ride.

See the large cove looking thing just below the word "Freeland"? That's Useless Bay. Our house is located near Useless Bay. For those of you warm weather-types, this part of Whidbey doesn't get much hotter than the rest of the Seattle area, but it is beautiful. And the summers can't be beat.

But I had never gone over by myself, for just myself, and with myself. I have brought family and a girlfriend over before, but never have I gone with just the attitude of putterdom. I was a little bit nervous. But filled with child-like anticipation all the same.

Wow. I needn't have worried at all about being alone. God was with me the whole time. He met me as I read Joanne's book (which I'll review here soon--Misplacing God (and finding Him again)). He met me as I took a walk down to the beach (not too much mud this time, yay!), for a lovely poke-at-this-look-at-that-listen-to-this stroll. I saw eagles only in the distance this time, but I heard their cries. Heard the sound of mussels and barnacles struggling to survive in the negative tide. Saw herons. Standing resolutely. Waiting for fish. Saw sea glass and sand dollars. Saw tons of driftwood. Ready and waiting for the imagined our fort that we'll build this spring. Only to rebuild it after winter takes it away in the reworking of the spit of sand that we call "our beach". Picked up moon snail shells, examining their intricate swirls. Put them back for the water to take. Saw the outline of Seattle and its frenetic pace, traffic, and beauty in the distance.

I saw myself. Did I see me as God sees me? No, for I know only a tiny view of the back of His tapestry, including the tapestry of me. But I drew near to Him. Sought Him. Walked with Him.
Let Him love on me just a bit. Thank You, Lord.

When it was time for dinner, I headed "into town" and grabbed some crackers and a lovely chicken salad. Course I needed some caramel corn, too. For dessert. Think I'd go away from home and NOT get dessert? Hmph. Nevah.

Went back to the house. Watched a movie and knitted. Fell asleep watching Friday Night Lights, woke up, and took myself to bed.

Yesterday morning, I woke up when I woke up. Read a bit more, and then headed into Freeland, the little town on the map. It's about 4 miles away. Took Joann's book to my favorite diner and intended to read while enjoying my veggie omelet with truckloads of cheese, toast, and coffee with cream in those thick diner coffee cups. Couldn't read, for I'm distractible with noise. But it wasn't just noise. It was fellow diners, mostly with children--bed-headed children because c'mon--it's Whidbey! No one cares about a little sand man and bed head. I heard the kindness of strangers, kind-hearted joking around with kiddos, and saw a waitress, probably in her late 60s, running after an elderly fella who "left her too much money". He tipped her a 5-spot, and it was just too much. "He doesn't have money like that. I told him next time. Next time. " So I finished breakfast in my happy spot, and left. Filled up with my eggs, and with agape, seen in situ.

As I poked around for the rest of the morning, I prayed and sang worship tunes in my car. Cried a little. Not much. And I sat in the comfort and freedom of God. Had I left Him behind recently? I don't know. I know I've been in my head a lot about my "feelings" lately. And funny enough, that's not a good place for me. Because I'm a ruminator and cogitator, and nothing good comes of that when it's about feeling based on emotion. Don't get me wrong. Feelings and emotions are purposeful, when they're based on truth. Not sure that mine all were. Scratch that. They weren't.

So I refocused. On truth. On a friend's wise words re: avoiding discouragement and embracing freedom. On the cross.

By God, it was awesome.