We are created for connection, so feeling rejected can be harsh and cold. God gathers up the rejected. I think I was the only one who saw him shrivel away under the rejection of others. He had tried to do something different. He wanted to be part of the […]
Loneliness
Hidden away? Longing to be sought after? In the parable of the pearl merchant, we find a lover with a quest. Imagine yourself as a child and you’re at a friend’s birthday party. A game is played. Hide and seek. Your friend, the one who is celebrating the birthday, is […]
When no one understands you, it can create a deep sense of loneliness. Perhaps there are reasons for the lack of being known. Forgive them anyway. They were carrying something precious. Their inner world. Thoughts, feelings, motivations, desires, pains, and joys. Everything that goes on within their life and sometimes […]
There’s work, home, and loneliness, but maybe a third place can be the place of hope. Let’s make one together. I’m looking for a third place, and I think you might be too. It’s a place where I feel I belong and there is no pressure to perform, to do, […]
There is a kind of loneliness that feels like a huge void has been opened up, and you’re broken on the other side. But there is one that crosses the void to bring connection. I’m still trying to understand why they avoided me. They knew I was in a mess, […]
A feeling of being abandoned can be like a cold chill across the soul. But God is always at work, so we need to remind ourselves of this truth. I was recently at the help desk in a large store returning some items, and I noticed a small boy in […]
We see things, hear things, experience change, and become afraid. But when we know we are precious to God, a deep peace can come and flood us with strength. It was only a couple of words, and I felt stronger. Words can cut, hurt, and harm, but they can also […]
There are many lonely people. Strangers in a strange land, but we can welcome them and perhaps discover an angel in disguise. I was visiting a home the other day, and an older lady met me. I had never met her before, and she told me that she was visiting […]
When trouble comes, we can quickly isolate ourselves, but there needs to be an invitation to go deep and connect. God sets the lonely in families. We need others who will tag along and pray with us. It must have been a very lonely place. He had done everything he […]
Nurses, doctors, counselors, etc. can all make a difference to our mental health recovery, but the more lasting help will come from a committed companion — someone like Ruth who will break bread with us. It was like a revolving door of people entering their life and then leaving it. […]