You're listening to Encounter, a simple daily podcast to help you find this sacred in

the ordinary.

We have 100 meditation episodes on this podcast, but if you want to listen for free to the

entire library of 500, I encourage you to download the Encountering Peace mobile app where

all the meditations are free as they should be.

To describe times of isolation, we often use words like loneliness and solitude as if they're

synonymous, but they could not be any more different.

Loneliness is an expression of pain, while solitude is often an expression of joy.

When you're lonely, you long for companionship, but when you seek solitude, you long to be

left alone.

Most of my friends might think I'm an extrovert, but I actually require solitude to recharge

and center my soul back on God.

I yearn for those precious moments when I can step away from the world and pursue my

longing for God.

Do you have times of solitude set aside to pursue your longing for the divine?

Well, this meditation from Matthew 6 is a gift of time to pursue that desire, a time to reflect

on the divine inner voice, the voice of the eternal presence of God from within you.

To hear it, you need to be in solitude, even when your world is crowded, and probably

especially when your world is crowded.

We will be together for about 15 minutes, but for now, begin your meditation by softly

closing your eyes, and just slip into a time in a space where you can be aware of true

longing.

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