Hello all, a topic that is heavy upon my heart is something I’ve struggled with for years. I have walked through painful health struggles that left me disconnected from life. Lonliness is a universal struggle, each of us long to feel like we belong at some point, we long to feel included and invited, naturally most of us long for community. The last few years of my life I have experienced a new depth to loneliness by walking through health issues that few resonate with. It has limited my social activity due to extreme fatigue preventing me from going anywhere, and my emotional state went through many highs and lows. Still to this day I struggle with loneliness, everyone in my house has their daily repsonsbilities that they venture to throughout the day while I’ve stayed in one place watching them come and go. This has been a consistent theme in my life as I watch my family enter in and out of new seasons of life. It created an impatience within my heart as I longed for the day where I would leave my bedroom and enter into something new and exciting. Thankfully we have a faithful God who meets us right where we are at. Though the last few years of my life have been the loneliest, at the same time it has also been the sweetest because I have encountered God in a way I never had before. When the comforts in your life slowly drift away from your grasp, there is little to cling to. My friend’s lives continued even though my life was limited to my room, social activity was for the most part non-existent. For example, I was so sick for a year that I had to repeat the 9th grade. It was just me and God, and either I had to be mad at him for the cirucmstances he allowed, or I could wrestle with him and move forward. I’m so thankful that he softened my heart towards him. I wrestled with him, prayed, hurt, cried and as I did his truth transformed my thoughts, and the way I viewed my circumstances. I now view this loneliness as an opporurtunity to be more intentional with my relationship with God. Slowly as the lulling hum of comforts and pleasures was taken away, I began to experience the treasure of Christ in the most beautiful way. When I say I began to experince the treasure of Christ in a new way, I mean that for the first time I longed to spend time in the word. I tasted and saw that the things of this world fail to come close to compare to the beauty of God and the power of his word. I’m sure some of you reading have your own struggle with loneliness, maybe you’re working a very difficult job with insane work hours so you cannot spend much time with family and friends. Maybe you’re struggling to find your place within your community, maybe you’re battling depression and though you’re surrounded by many people you still feel alone, maybe you are also sick and isoclated as I have been. Wherever you may be, he is with you. I challenege you to view your loneliness as an opportunity to renew your relationship with God. Here are a few verses that continued to uplift my weary spirit in moments where the loneliness was crushing. My prayer is that it would also meet you right where you are.
Psalms 34:18 “He is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit”. Next, Matthew 11:28 “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest” Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”. Each of these verses reminded me that though I feel alone, and though this season of life brings me to a place of islocation that our God is near to the broken hearted. He saves the crushed in spirit, he desires for us to bring our loneliness to him, he longs to give rest to his children, he tells us to not worry nor dismay but to find our confidence in a God who never fails. Though the seasons of loneliness have been immensely difficult, I am so thankful to have a God who desires to give me rest. Friends, I know as people we long to see the finished product. We desire to have some fragment of understanding about why we are here, for me my continued question has been why after so many years has this season not come to an end? It is okay to have those questions, bring that to him and wrestle, he will meet you exactly where you are at and bring a peace that surpasses all understanding. Yes, it will still be hard, I promise you that, but even then, there is hope in the midst of that loneliness because our God is present with us through that hardship. I urge you to seek his face in the midst of your own loneliness, but I warn you his word does not bring back void, it transforms, it encourages, it brings hope and restores. I am living proof, he has transformed my heart, renewed my sprirt, even in my current season of loneliness, my joy has not dimmed but overflowed because the king of kings, the lord of lords, faithfully delivers a peace and comfort that is unexplainable. My prayer is that you would run to God and lay your worries before him and find rest, admit that you can’t do this all on your own, and surrender and allow him to provide you peace in the middle of your storm. Thank you for reading, all glory to God. -Mikayla Kent P.S a I attached a link to a song that has encouraged me during times of loneliness. ~ “Hold on” by 33 miles https://youtu.be/WNwS4cGc2Wk
2 Comments
Dianne Paupp
8/19/2019 11:15:45 am
Oh how beautiful you can convey your feelings. You touched my soul and I felt how you were feeling. I suffer from from bi-polar disorder and depression and I as well can relate to loneliness. But not to your extent. But your sharing has helped me see some areas in my life I need to seek GOD'S help and direction in. Putting Him first is the upmost importance in my life and that is what I seek. God bless you for your sincere words and I will pray for you.
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Judy DePoy
8/23/2019 04:45:59 am
You are a wise young woman. God has given you much! much to travel through and much to share. You remind me that Joy does not come from circumstance but from an intimate relationship with Jesus who never leaves us alone to find our way.
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AuthorI'm just a 17 year old girl, who has a passion for Jesus and longs to encourage and connect with other people through the shifting seasons of life, and the lessons learned through them. Archives
July 2023
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