The Beauty and Healing Power of Isolation

Our kids looked at us in confusion when the road that was supposed to lead us to a family adoption camp was blocked by a large sign: Local Traffic Only. As far as we knew this was the only way to the Horn Creek Camp in Westcliffe, CO.

We didn't know what else to do, so we skirted around the neon orange billboard and proceeded to make our way along Highway 67. After all, if local traffic could get through, shouldn't we be able to get through?

Five minutes into our 65-mile per hour journey, a rift in the earth's crust had caused the asphalt highway to sink. A 50-foot chasm separated us from the road that was supposed to lead us to much-needed rest and quality family time.

I glanced at my phone. No service.

My husband turned the vehicle around and we made our way back to the last small town hoping the phone would give us a signal. No such luck though. Fortunately, my husband had the foresight to bring a road atlas. We would have to drive through Canon City, towards Texas Creek, and find Highway 67 to enter from the north.

The result was an additional 90 minutes to our original 3-hour trip. You can imagine our kids' frustration, as well as ours. We began to think, "This camp better be worth it!"

The hills of Westcliffe pleasantly greeted us with scattered cattle and wildflowers. A farmhouse would pass by us every few minutes. This was nothing like the Denver metropolitan area. The last gas station was at least an hour behind us.

Good thing I printed the directions to Horn Creek from our computer at home. We had absolutely no phone service when we arrived in town. Navigation would have to be done the old-fashioned way.

We made our way through the county's only four-way signal and quickly found the country road that let to camp. The kids squealed in delight when we saw play areas and water slides as we drove through the large family camp facility. Finally, we pulled up to an extra-large cabin complete with an open foyer and fireplace.

While some families stayed in their own personal cabin, we were blessed by a friend who placed us with three other families in the larger building where it was easy to hang out and monitor kids close to our residence. We each had our own little apartment.

The camp was amazing and when it was time to leave, we were all sad. Something about this place had gripped our hearts. Even the central part of town (which consisted of about ten blocks) felt cozy. The church we had attended on Sunday had been welcoming, and full of homeschooled and adopted children. We didn't understand how this was possible in a place where only 1000 people resided in the town, 5000 in the whole county!

But God knew. He miraculously brought us to Westcliffe by giving our kids three scholarships to attend family camp. Then He positioned an old friend who we had lost touch with as an administrator at the camp. She invited us to her church and the rest is history.

We moved there a year later.

After the high energy of a dense city and easy access to entertainment and luxury, God took us to a place of extreme quiet and isolation. The largest business in town was the ACE Hardware, where my husband did find a minimum wage job. Of the three auto shops in town, none were hiring.

Despite the financial hardship, God blessed our family with a new appreciation for people and family time. The kids loved having their dad play with them and go on adventures like he was never able to before.

During this quiet season we learned how to be still. Do you know how hard that is? Our country is getting a good taste of it now as we endure the COVID-19 crisis. But even then, most of us still have access to the internet and phone service. We can drive through fast-food restaurants or have food delivered. We still have access to necessities at the local grocery store.

It took us a month to get internet service so we could use our phones regularly via wifi. Until then, I parked in front of the town's library and tried to connect to the limited wifi available. The grocery store was a small operation that regularly ran out of items, and some items had been there so long they rotted almost as soon as we brought them home. We determined that the one-hour drive (each-way) to Pueblo was worth it when we could stock up from Sam's Club for the whole month. Of course, we had to splurge at Chick-fil-A on the same trip!

Life in Westcliffe was so much harder than we imagined, kind of like our whole adoption story, but it doesn't mean it wasn't worth it. It was totally worth it. The lessons I learned while we were isolated from friends and family, void of entertainment and luxury, and away from the noise, were some of the best lessons I could ever learn as a woman of faith.

Ultimately, God wanted to get our attention, and He wasn't going to compete with all the activities we had lined up in our busy lives back in Denver. He wanted us to experience peace and freedom in a place where we had to rely on Him for countless provisions. He took us to a place where we could help our kids process some of the trauma of their pasts.

None of us would leave Westcliffe the same. In fact, one child would be missing from our family by the time we moved.

Turning down the noise in our lives can be uncomfortable. I like watching YouTube and browsing Facebook. I like learning new information. Discovery is the spice of life for me.

But what if God wants us to take this season of solitude and use it to transform us into something spectacular for His kingdom? What if we got on our knees day after day to seek His face with all our attention? What secrets might He share with us? What ideas may He give us?

Why is it that most of us feel exhausted after a typical day? For some of us, it might be rowdy kids. For others it might be the demands of a home business. But my theory... All the time we spend in front of a screen (TV, tablet, phone, etc.) is draining the life right out of us.

I admit, sometimes I really just want to laugh. So I put on a show. Either I get what I was looking for and I want more, or I just wasted my time and regret my decision. Regardless, I feel unsatisfied and at times, downright disgusted with myself for doing something so meaningless. I get more energy from taking a cat nap in my hammock chair outside than I do after watching a show.

We went through a season in Westcliffe with no entertainment available, unless you count the abandoned bowling alley. We dug through boxes until we found a couple of DVDs to relieve our distress. Our family was not used to this much quiet. It felt smothering.

Despite the discomfort, we did learn to get through our days in peace. The chirping of the birds or crickets became the sounds of home. Dirt roads and wildflowers became beautiful masterpieces. Open blue skies brought sculptures to us in the form of clouds. Reduced light pollution brought the stars from heaven to our fingertips. The smell of the earth aroused our senses and brought a new energy that felt so much more peaceful than the old energy created by our own busyness.

While I grieve over those who have lost loved ones due to the coronavirus, for those who have lost jobs, for those who have suffered financial hardship, I do not want to leave this season unaffected by the stillness. I have so much to be thankful for as I sit in my house day after day by myself looking at the same walls filled with the same pictures. I have constant reminders around me that God is faithful. He will never leave me or abandoned me.

Some days I get to share with my husband and what a blessing those times are for us as we don't try to stress about where to go and what to do. We work on the house because that is what is in front of us right now. We visit people on the phone or the internet because that is what we have access to right now. And it has been amazing and restful for us, similar to our time in Westcliffe.

I really hope you can truly find rest during this season of isolation. May you know God's perfect love for you and remember His many blessings throughout your life.