Not Alone

I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you

John 14:18

I am a day behind again. I have had a very sick little one at home to take care of. She is on the mend, so I am going to attempt to get caught up.

Tuesday's devotional tells the story of a woman walking through her local park, looking for a good place to read her book in the sunshine. As she walks she hears the laughter of the neighborhood children, and begins to feel the pangs of loneliness. She found an empty park bench and watched the mother's play with their little ones, remembering her own family, and how she was once a busy mother. But her children were grown now, and had moved away, and she was feeling left behind. All of a sudden a little voice says "hi, what's your name?" She smiled and told the little girl her name. The little girl introduced herself, and told her that this was her grandmother, Louise. The little girl ran off to continue playing, and Louise sat down. Louise told of how her granddaughter was always trying to get her to meet other women when she took her to the park, she thought that her granddaughter knew how lonley she was when she wasn't around.

Isn't it amazing how God answer's our prayers. Even the prayers that we don't speak, just the desires of our hearts. And the ways that He answers them always astound me. In this case he used a little girl, to help not only her grandmother, but the woman in the story, whose family lived so far away. I live far from my family, and understand the loneliness the woman talked about. When we first moved to our town, 8 years ago I felt very lonely. We had lived in a major city before, and moved to a small town. There was a bit of culture shock along with the loneliness. My son was only 2 years old, so he wasn't in school yet. I only knew the people I worked with, and the babysitter. I asked my husband to find a job back home, because I wanted to go back. But I started to adjust to my new surroundings, and I started to make friends, we got involved in our church, and my son started school. I still feel lonely from time to time. I'm not very good at completely sharing my feelings with my friends, or breaking down my wall that I have built around me, and I can tend to be a bit antisocial. I tend to like my alone time, and my time when it's just me and my family. My husband is much more social, and people tend to take to him better, and that can sometimes be a hard thing to take. I am working on it, and it's getting better and easier the more that I interact and socalize with those around me.

I think we all feel lonely from time to time, but the writer in my devotional points out that God can use our loneliness to drive us to Him. So if you are feeling lonely, go to God, who is always pleased to hear from you.

Steps of Faith:
Father, please give me the strength I need to keep moving forward, even when I feel completely alone. Guide me to other people who will help fill the loneliness I sometimes feel inside.

Deeper Walk:
Psalm 27 NAS
Theme: God offers help for today and hope for the future. Unwavering confidence in God is our antidote for fear and loneliness.
Author: David

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident.

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O Lord, I shall seek." Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me up.

Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a level path because of my foes. Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.