I don't read nonfiction nearly as quickly as I read fiction—something about trying to retain all of the information causes me to read slower, and at times, it feels like drudgery. But in the end, I'm almost always glad that I've put forth the effort. That's definitely been the case with the book I've been reading the past few weeks written by Elisabeth Elliott called The Path of Loneliness: Finding Your Way Through the Wilderness to God.
Like the rest of us, Elisabeth has experienced the depths of loneliness. My first post about this book highlighted one such instance where she felt alone while on a crowded airplane. That's what I love about this book—Elisabeth doesn't try to pretend that loneliness isn't real and she doesn't try to minimize it. She meets it head on.
In one chapter, titled the "The Glory of Sacrifice," she suggests that loneliness can and should be offered as a sacrifice to God. Here's a little taste of what she said:
"After the Crucifixion came the Resurrection. After the Resurrection the Ascension. Because Jesus wore a crown of thorns, He now wears a crown of glory. Because He became poor, He now sits enthroned. Because He made Himself of no reputation, He now has a name which is above every name. Because He was willing to become a slave, He is now Master of everything. Because He was obedient to death, He is Lord of Life and holds the keys of hell and of death. Because He made Himself of no reputation, every knee will someday bow before Him. Every renunciation led to glory."
Powerful stuff, isn't it? She goes on to ask: "Is it not clear to us that the sacrifice of Calvary was not a tragedy but the release of life and power? Do we believe this?" And her inference is clear—if we believe this, then our loneliness, as real as it is, is not a tragedy, but rather an opportunity to taste the life God intended for us, if only we will offer up our loneliness as a sacrifice of praise.
