What is the craziest thing you’ve done by yourself?
This is often a scary thing to contemplate. Being alone. Going to dinner alone…at a real sit-down restaurant. Going to a movie alone. Going to a concert, play, or a museum alone.
I often do things alone, simply because I’ve refused to miss experiences when I can’t find someone to go with me. One of the craziest things I’ve done by myself was travel to Normandy, France over Memorial Day in 2012. I couldn’t find anyone who could get the time off or wanted to see the beaches of Normandy. But I wanted to go…so I did.
This last weekend, I did something by myself that I hadn’t ever done before. I went to a women’s Christian conference alone. For complete transparency, I knew there were going to be a couple of women from my church attending, but I traveled, stayed in a hotel, and arrived at the conference solo.
Rather than my normally self-confident ways, I found myself floundering in the solo-ness of the experience.
As I found a seat in the midst of over 6,000 women, I was feeling self-conscious. Were other women looking at me and wondering why I was by myself? Were the ladies from my church remembering that I was also attending…would they invite me to sit with them? How was I going to get through the day without having someone to pray with, someone to nudge when there was an especially good nugget, someone to wait in the bathroom line with me?!?!?!
And then the featured speaker, Priscilla Shirer, said something that touched my heart. The summary of what she said included, “I’m going to challenge you to pray by yourself right now…. whether you came with 100 ladies from your church, 10 of your closest friends, or by yourself…we are taking time right now for each of you to have a one-on-one conversation with the Father. You are here to chat with an audience of One.”
It was through her that I felt the ping of the Holy Spirit reassuring me that I was exactly where I was supposed to be at that moment. That reassurance included knowing it was perfectly okay to be there by myself and that I only need to be concerned with my relationship with God.
It reminded me that Christ had to do the most difficult thing ever, go to the cross to die for all of our sins, all by Himself. Or so it seemed…
You see, it also made me reflect that Christ was not truly ever by Himself. The Father was right there with him throughout the trial, the torture, the long walk with a heavy cross, and even in His final moments as a human.
And the Father is with me always too. Through every single experience, both good and bad, the Father has been with me. In every event I’ve attended alone in flesh, the Father was with me. Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
God was sitting right next to me when I struggled with being solo at a women’s Christian conference. He’ll be right next to you when you’re struggling too.
Come to the porch and tell us the scariest/craziest/most fun thing you’ve done by yourself.
~Emily
Iron Porch 
Interesting. I, too, attended a Priscilla Shirer event by myself, a few years ago. The plan was for a group of ladies to attend the event. But, at the last minute, things changed. I could have stayed home, too. But, I chose to attend by myself. I made some friends and enjoyed the event, even though I missed my friends.
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