Loneliness

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Psalm 25:16-17 (NIV)

I’m not too sure at what point I realized I was lonely. With a husband, a houseful of kids, family, and several wonderful friends who regularly popped in to help, my life was seemingly full of activity and laughter. Yet, amidst all the brouhaha, I was lonely. I felt isolated because my struggles were so different from the other women at church and in my neighborhood. After my mother passed away, that loneliness intensified. I no longer had a woman confidante, someone to whom I could reveal my deepest concerns, who wouldn’t judge my shortcomings.

I think all of us experience a certain amount of loneliness at some time or another. Mercifully, we have a Savior who is familiar with loneliness. Although fully human, He was also fully God. His earthly parents didn’t entirely grasp His agenda. His siblings were critical and didn’t embrace His teachings until later. Even His disciples left Him when He was arrested and condemned to die. He was God, a divine being, in a world of humans, which set Him apart. No one could identify with the divine side of Jesus other than His Heavenly Father. That loneliness was at its worst when He hung on the cross, and His Father turned His face away, unable to look at the world’s sins which Jesus took upon Himself.

Are you feeling lonely?  Jesus is waiting for you to sit down with Him and share your heart. If you can’t find the words, tears and sighs will do. The One who endured years of loneliness fully understands what you’re going through. If anyone can empathize and offer comfort, it’s Jesus.

Thought: “You are never left alone when you are alone with God.” – Woodrow Kroll