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| Cocooning! |
You just want to remain in the dark. You want to stay in a place where no one can see you. You want to be closed in where you can be alone with your own thoughts and even give yourself the freedom to have a pity party if you desire. And heaven help us if the doorbell rings. We don’t want any intrusions, so we pretend we aren’t home and pretend no one is behind the door. Sometimes these feelings stem from just being lazy. Other times it is because you have been too involved in the outside world that you need a break.
It is okay.
It happens to all of us at one time or another.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s verb definition of cocoon is “to
spend time at home instead of going out for other activities.” I am one of
those people who likes to cocoon!
Usually when
I am at home, I like my curtains closed most of the time. It isn’t because I
don’t like the light; it is because when I am at home, I like to be truly at
home – closed in; away from noise; away from outside pressures. I just like the
secure-closed in feeling of being safe – of being allowed to think my own
thoughts without distractions.
Jesus needed
those times too. He needed to get away to pray by himself. He needed that quiet
time to dwell on his life and his God-given mission. We need that too. But,
with too much time to reflect, we can become so introverted that we are no use
to others. Yes, closing in to relax and have time alone with God is necessary,
but if when we find ourselves closing in without the spiritual tug to open ourselves
up to be used by the Lord, we need to re-evaluate our motives.
Years ago, I
had surgery. I had to stay in the house by myself for 2-3 weeks. Yes, I enjoyed
the solitude needed for healing. I enjoyed the days getting up going to the
fridge to get a drink, and then going back to bed surrounded by my blankets and
my favorite books and reading materials. But, there does come a time when we
need to get out. We need to experience life and be around other people.
If we find
ourselves in a position where we feel we just can’t get out and face people, we
need to muster up enough courage (with God’s help) and fortitude to be able to
get going with life. It isn’t that we have to give up our quiet solitary life
completely. But, we do need to ‘escape’ our cocoon and see what God has for us.To do this, we must take time in our solitude to ask God for courage; to trust the Lord to show us how to be brave; how to minister to others; and when to cocoon back into the solitary we enjoy and many times need.
Mark 6:31 ESV
Then, because so many people were
coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them,
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Joshua 1:9 ESV
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the
Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Awaken Me: A Devotional Prayer Journal (ISBN 978-1-4627-2578-6)
God, It's Me: 181 Days for Young Adults to Become
Passionate about Prayer and Bible Study (ISBN 978-1-4627-3821-2)
Photo:
©GreeneFamily
