Unexpected Solitude

Now this might sound weird but I've been trying to practice the spiritual discipline of solitude. I just started trying to make a point of doing this in the last week and the place so far that I've found it easiest is, as you would never guess, in the airport. As I write this I'm sitting in the Pittsburg airport on my way to South Carolina to check out a mission trip site. I don't know if you've ever flown before but airports are one of those places where there are a ton of people walking around but no one interacts with each other. It's this very reason that makes it really easy for me to practice solitude by being by myself and yet having the opportunity to people-watch, not in a creepy sort of way but simply observing those around me. When I found myself watching people and having an attitude of solitude, I could sense myself being more sensitive to possible joys or struggles individuals might be experiencing in their lives at the moment.

It's really a pretty cool experiment to try…people-watching with an attitude of solitude allowed me to quit thinking about me, become more sensitive to the issues those around me might be dealing with and even spend some time praying for the complete strangers that happen to be my fellow travelers today.