I watched them on the Carnival Fascination, in the Bahamas. Lonely girls. A group of fifteen girls. A married woman. Hey there, lonely girl. Lonely girl. They are everywhere. Lonely girls. Some are single. Some are married.
It’s been said that the strongest words in the human experience are: alone, lonely and loneliness. It’s a terrible thing to feel alone. Rejected. Unacceptable. Depressed. Trapped. Imprisoned. Hollow. Alone with your thoughts. Alone in time. Alone in the big fat universe. Lonely in a crowd. Lonely in a marriage.
The irony is that is how it was designed. We were meant to be lonely. The plan is that no other human person, no created thing, no experience – nothing at all can fill, fulfill or complete us. Our husband can’t do it, no matter how much of a stud muffin he is. Our best girl friends can’t do, no matter how much they love, support and empathize with us. Our kids can’t do it – nor do the want to! Our parents, colleagues, customers, fans or friends are not equipped to eradicate our aloneness.
We live behind our own eyeballs and no one can get there - including us. We can’t even eliminate loneliness by keeping company with our own addicted self! Isn’t it crazy?
It is! That’s exactly the way God designed it. Jesus dealt with this reality when everyone forsook Him. “You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” (John 16:32, NIV) Bingo.
When we know the Father is with us, we are not alone. Truly. Now this is good news for the people in our lives. It means we can lower the bar. We can quit putting pressure on everyone around us to be our all in all, since they can’t. We can quit sulking. Quit being disappointed. Now we can have realistic expectations. We don’t expect anyone to take away our aloneness and this is quite freeing!
On the upside, this reality means our lonely days are gone. If our Father is with us, He is. If we believe that then we are not alone, lonely or suffering from loneliness. The power of being a lonely girl is broken. Imagine, never again being alone! Now, isn’t that a freeing thought? Where can you go from God?
If you believe it…that’s the key. I might have a thousand dollars in the bank, but if I don’t believe it that money isn’t going to change my life one iota. I’m still feeling broke. If God is with me, never leave me, never forsakes me – if I believe it, this could change my life.
Beth
