God's wandering children are always in a long fire of loneliness,
struggling in the face of
continuing disappointment in the Church, in family, in friends.

Some have grown bitter.
Some have settled down to live in floating despair.
Some are still trying, trying, looking, searching.

But a few have seen the Light of Jesus' purpose
and have accepted the solitude that is our private reality
and the tragedy of the human condition.
 

The Shulamite maiden suffered such aloneness . . .
misunderstanding of companions and abuse by
authorities. In the fervent pursuit of her king,
she endured scorn and testing.
But her loneliness could be satisfied only by her Lover.
She had gained wisdom to search only for Him,
no substitute.

I believe the time is near when the Lord will reward those
who have embraced aloneness as His will and
consented to the destruction
of their altars to idols-in-companions.

The reward will be as it was for Abraham:
I AM your exceeding great reward.

It will be the pleasure of Jesus to fill the deep
aloneness of the soul with Himself.
He has seen our waiting.
He has tested the heart that wants only Him.

Your Companion is rising, oh Shulamite,
and He will let Himself be found by you.

Copyright © 1999 Martha Blaney Kilpatrick