Are You Living in the Dark Shadows of Loneliness?

Loneliness. A depressing feeling of being alone. Destitute of friendly or supportive companionship, support, etc., without company. Companionless. Remote from places of human habitation. Desolate.

Wow! Doesn’t the word sound depressing? However, if you know anything about me and my writing, I am not here to make you feel depressed. I love writing to offer healthy doses of HOPE.

The past couple of years have given us plenty of opportunities to experience some form of loneliness. Pandemic protocols. Nationwide shutdowns. Sheltering in place for months on end, and that is just the past eighteen to twenty-four months.

 

Loneliness In A Crowd

 

Now you may say to yourself, “I’m not lonely.” I have a huge family with lots of kiddos and a mate who loves me. If that is the case, then kudos to you, and God bless you and your family. God says in His Word that children are a blessing.

Behold, children are a gift from God; the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. Psalm 127:3-5.

A gift from God. Remember that. No, here I want to take you deeper into what I mean by loneliness and help you take a deeper look at yourself. Maybe you will recognize the loneliness I’m referring to in your own life or maybe in someone you know.

If so, hopefully, you can begin to heal and live with hope or maybe even help someone who is struggling in the shadows of loneliness.

Alone in Your Loneliness

You know what? I celebrated my 55th birthday last month! Initially, I was looking forward to throwing a big celebration because it is a milestone birthday. And I am also beyond thankful that God has blessed me with 11 more years since the massive stroke that almost killed me! So, I began to plan. I did my research, and then I sent out invitations a month in advance.

Then I waited… Some people responded quickly. Others had to check their schedule to make sure they could attend. After sheltering in place for months, I was excited to celebrate my birthday with close friends and loved ones.

Let me share this with you; as a former caterer in another lifetime, I love planning parties, especially my own! In fact, my parties have been so much fun, a friend of many years asked me, “Why don’t  I have parties every year?” My response was that it wouldn’t feel as unique if I had parties all the time.

Consequently, I ended up canceling my birthday party this year. It was a sad day. After calling the event planner, who had been so patient and helpful. He was disappointed for me as much as I was. I told him thanks, but it was the right thing to do. I won’t go into details, but I wanted to get on a plane a fly away anywhere after that! The disappointment was crushing at the time. I’m not sure how many more birthdays I’ll have to celebrate moving forward. BUT GOD.

Alone But Never Alone

My beautiful mother came to the rescue without even knowing it. We spent a day together. I shared with her some of my cooking tips, and she enjoyed watching and helping me make my famously delicious cheesecakes! It was a blessed day of fellowship that my soul needed desperately. We had some in-depth conversations that only a mother and her son can have, We laughed and joked, and we prayed together at the end of the day. No need for me to hop on a plane and fly away to nowhere!

The LORD says. “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in My name.  When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. Psalm 91:14-15.

Friend, even when we feel abandoned or forgotten, we are NEVER ALONE. Our heavenly Father loves us unconditionally. So, we NEVER have to feel alone. His love for us is everlasting! Click To Tweet

                                        

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new EVERY MORNING. Great is Your faithfulness. Lam. 3:22-23.

Does Anyone Hear Me?

So, let me ask you this. Have you ever been in a conversation with someone, and you felt like they didn’t hear a word you said? Maybe they were distracted, busy, or never took the time to look up from their phone. I love the convenience it provides, but how did we ever survive before the smartphone? It seems smartphones are making many people “dumb,” and they have lost the art of conversation.

It makes my heart sad that feeling of being ignored or invisible at times. Sometimes it’s done unintentionally, but it doesn’t feel so good when it happens regardless. Every individual has a deep desire to be acknowledged or valued in some way or the other. When that doesn’t happen, it can lead to loneliness, depression, and even despair.

As I am writing about this, my mind goes to Hagar in the bible. She was the maidservant of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Late in life, God had promised a child to Abraham and Sarah while they were well past birthing years. They grew impatient waiting on God’s timing and decided to do things on their own with Sarah’s blessing.

Sarah offered Hagar up to Abraham, and he readily complied. Hagar became pregnant and began to look down on the barren Sarah. Sarah was angry and treated Hagar harshly. Hagar took her son and ran into the desert. While Hagar was crying in the desert, read what happened next here!

 

“A God who sees.” Don’t you love that song? God sees both you and me, friend. Regardless of the circumstance or how we are feeling. He is watching over us in love. I am a massive fan of Kathie Lee Gifford. She developed a song with Nicole C. Mullen titled, A God Who Sees. It is one of the most beautiful songs you will ever hear! I have included a link here. Please take a moment, close your eyes and listen to this song. Then come back here, and I’ll wrap up this post, and you can share your thoughts. https://open.spotify.com/track/4CdGeBrZcWWoTaqchQnxZe?si=b0e72fc6f52c41ca

 

 

Final Thoughts on Loneliness

Did you listen? What did you think? Have you heard that song before? It gives me goosebumps and makes my heart happy when I hear that song. I’m not sure that you ever considered yourself living in loneliness. But the fact remains there are millions of people who experience some loneliness at times.

I don’t want that for anyone, and neither does Jesus. Jesus loves you and me dearly. He says in John 10:10; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. So, I’m pleading with you to remember how much you are loved. You don’t have to linger any longer in the shadows. You can live joyfully in the shining light of Jesus’s love! Let him wrap his loving arms around you. Embrace God’s strength and feel His compassion and love for you! Leave the shadows behind and leap into the LIGHT!!

It’s my prayer that if this post has touched your heart in any way, that you will share it with the world. Someone out there needs to know how much God loves them. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this today. Be well, friend.

 

In Christ,

Horace

 

My latest book, The award-winning,  The Furnace of Affliction: How God Uses Our Pain and Suffering for His Purpose, is currently on sale through the end of September. You can get your copy here and stock up on paperbacks for holiday gifts. (You can message me for signed paperback copies too.)