Lonely But Never Alone

There's no greater lonely than being surrounded by people and still feeling alone. At a young age I started with this vague sense that everyone knew what was going on, somehow they knew what they were doing, why they were there--and I was sort of on the outside looking in. It was different with family; I did have a sense of belonging there. But you know as you grow up, you want to be around friends and in relationships where you feel special, loved, or they give you that attention that you want so much.

We are built for relationship. It's no wonder we tend to reach beyond family at an early age. If there's been no guarding of your heart--and your emotions--you can get entangled in all sorts of bad relationships that begin with excitement or good feelings, and, in time, habit, routine, and fear of being alone can keep you there.

Some of the best learned lessons are the hardest to go through. On this side of my journey, I get how important it is to be so deeply rooted in God's Word, to be grounded in His stability, so we are not torn to the core permanently when others reject us, hurt us, neglect us, or unknowingly cause pain. That will all happen in relationship. It's the main reason we must know WHO WE ARE in Christ. He becomes our Rock and our Stability. He already knew how we would disappoint or mess up or outright sin again--yet His love for us never changes.

What we desperately look for in other people is what God is readily offering to us now. We seek contentment, fulfillment, completion, or joy. If we don't know where to look, we find a little temporary happiness here or there, all determined by circumstance or how we perceive others to be treating us.

So a word of encouragement to you is this: God is so much more, so much bigger, so loving, completely forgiving, and THE BEST RELATIONSHIP YOU WILL EVER HAVE. When we get things right with Him, all other things in life can start to be what they should be. It's a journey! Don't get stuck in regret, disappointment, or skepticism. This life is too precious to waste our days. May yours be blessed!