Which do you feel more like:
alone
or
lonely?
Alone is the absence of people,
while lonely is the absence of connection. – Camerin Courtney
I have learned, the hard way, to listen to my mood within when I am on my own, and how to discern which I am feeling in a solo moment.
It is harder to feel alone in a crowd, but very lonely? Quite common.
It is easy to feel alone and lonely when you are skipped over in a group, or ignored in conversation, especially with strangers in close corners.
alone is a state of being
lonely is a mindset
alone can sometimes be fixed simply by being with other people, where loneliness can be harder to cope with
There are two truths I use to combat when I feel lonely, or all alone:
Deuteronomy 31:6
God will never leave me or forsake me.
With Him, I am never alone.
As a child whose birth father decided family life was not for him, then unexpectedly passed away when I turned three, abandonment & feeling unwanted was an identity I wore for far too long.
The verse above helped me wear a confidence I now have for eternity… I am never ever ever going to be alone.
I am FEEL alone at times,but that verse reminds me of the truth-
I AM never alone, forevermore.
But how do you handle feeling overwhelmed with loneliness?
Do I struggle with this?
Oh yes, too often it seems.
Starting a new job, switching churches, moving to a new neighborhood…
I don’t handle transitions very well at first, on the inside.
In fact, I still struggle with this one more than feeling alone, and recently God reminded me of one of my other lesser known fave verses in His Word…
Psalm 68:6
6A God sets the lonely in families…
And I was instantly reminded of how He answered the prayer of my heart from a very young age… my deep desire for sisters.
I now have the best sisters any girl could ask for.
They are truly additions to my family.
I believe Jesus found the same connection with His disciples.
My sisters help me make it through some days by:
encouraging me to keep moving my hubby & kids & parents,
keep challenging myself at work,
cheer me on when I sing or write,
and love up on me when I need it.
When you laugh, cry,
support & help one another in
both the best & the hard times,
break bread, eat Thai, drink Chair,
share a love of books, music,
and gratitude for all we do have
together…
you become family.
Being adopted by God though Jesus into God’s forever family
has dramatically lessened my core loneliness when I keep it in mind.
I try to use the Word to help me let go of what I want to and replace it with what I need to:
Inviting His Presence into all my nows.
Welcoming His love through those He chosen to show me love.
Its time to #WordUp & keep the Word close at hand, letting God fill the gaps & strengthening us as we walk out His truth.
We are never alone when we are His child.
He shows me His love through those who love me.
KARLA LEES 