Solitary

1/11/25

 For the first time in months, last night we had almost all the grandkids gathered at our table. I had been bringing firewood in and didn’t see what was happening at the front door, so when I came in, I was surprised to see Alex sitting on the counter. That left only Izzi who was working in Edinboro, and Eliza who was ice skating in Buffalo.

Linda suggested that I write about the blessing of having everyone around our table, which made me remember this verse:

“God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.”                                                      —Psalm 68:6 

When I was a teenager, this verse puzzled me. What did it mean to “set the solitary?” It finally dawned on me that God doesn’t like isolation, so he puts those who are solitary, ie alone, in families. We were meant to be together. As many can attest, togetherness is not always a blessing. When doing premarital counseling, I would tell couples my formula for trouble: “Proximity plus Difference equals Heat.” Put two very different people together in close contact, and things will sooner or later heat up. You can’t get very different than male and female. 

But it is in the context of family that God intends us to learn the lessons of cooperation, grace, and mercy; to cultivate love and respect, to be nurtured and cared for, to laugh and cry, comfort and encourage one another. None of this can happen in isolation. We need each other to rub each other the wrong way, learning to give and forgive, so we can become all God desires us to be. If you are feeling isolated, find a family. That’s what Church is supposed to be. Not perfect, but a family. If you know someone who is all alone, BE that person’s family!