Feeling lonely? You are not alone

LONELINESS is packed with feelings and emotions. It can consume you at any time – day or night – and create havoc with your emotions. Feeling lonely can cause you to lose perspective and, sometimes, to lose all hope. Even before COVID, we lived in an isolated culture where people were starved for connection. And now with the fear of COVID, loneliness is even more intensified.

There are days when my life is filled with the sound of voices on the phone, or pictures of friends on Zoom and Facetime, and yet, I feel alone. There have been times in my life when I would walk in a church filled with people, or show up at a party where I knew everyone, and yet, I felt alone. At some point, we’ve all experienced feelings of being alone and the shadow of loneliness that follows close behind.

You can feel alone when…

You’re hurting physically or emotionally,

You’re facing hard times,

You’ve experienced a life-changing loss

or devastating circumstances.

You can feel alone when…

your body begins to fail you,

your thinking becomes distorted,

you have to make a major decision,

your life seems overwhelming.

You can feel alone when…

you have everything money can buy,

you don’t have any friends,

your marriage is falling apart,

you have no one to turn to for help.

You can feel alone when…

you’re surrounded by people,

you have no one to talk to,

no one who will listen,

no one cares.

If any of these reasons fit you today, would you say this sentence aloud right now? I promise, you will not sound silly.

I AM NEVER ALONE.

      I AM NEVER ALONE.

Then, I want you to cling to this Psalm each day…

The Lord is my constant companion.

There is no need that He cannot fulfill.

Whether His course for me points to

The mountaintops of glorious ecstasy

Or to the valleys of human suffering,

He is by my side, He is ever present with me.

He is close beside me

When I tread the dark streets of danger,

And even when I flirt with death itself,

He will not leave me.

When the pain is severe, He is near to comfort.

When the burden is heavy, He is there to lean upon.

When depression darkens my soul,

He touches me with eternal joy.

When I feel empty and alone,

He fills the aching vacuum with His power.

My security is in His promise to be near me always,

And in the knowledge that He will never let me go.

(The Twenty-Third Psalm…from Psalms Now)

Now, remember this, my friends…

 YOU MIGHT FEEL LONELY, BUT YOU’RE NEVER ALONE.

In case you are wondering, this version of the 23rd Psalm sits on my desk to remind me of God’s presence for the times I feel alone.

From My Heart to Yours,