We’ve all experienced it at some point in our lives.
That moment of heart-heaviness. It feels like we are surrounded by darkness. We might be by ourselves or in a crowd of people.
Either way… we just feel straight up lonely.
Lonely, at least in my personal opinion, is one of the most un-fun places to be. Now, true loneliness is a heart issue and is very different from intentional solitude. We all need some “alone time” every now and then, whether it is to rest, recharge, reflect or just BE.
But being lonely, especially in our hearts, can be a painful and scary place.
Honestly, as a Christian and army wife, I sometimes feel a bit alone in my walk.
Sure it looks long and lonely… but it’s not. He promises.
This happens frequently when we move to a new place or my husband is gone for an extended amount of time. When we first moved to Georgia, the first several months were some definite lonely-heart moments. Just me, the dog… and the enemy, duking it out in our living room.
Lemme tell ya what… It was exhausting. And way not fun.
Now before you get all up in my Kool-aid about Jesus always being with us, I know that is true. And I drew a lot of strength from Him in those moments. But He has also designed us to be in community.
Recently, I was having a conversation around this topic with great friend and fellow army wife, Sam, while we hung out on an impromptu Sonic date. (Sometimes the best revelations come over milkshakes and cherry limeades.) We talked about the struggle we face when battling this lonely feeling… because while God calls us to live in community, we have to be careful where we plant ourselves.
After all, we are called to be IN the world but not OF the world. (John 15:19) Great theory, super hard to live out. It’s a fine freaking line, one that I have yet to completely figure out. Sometimes, especially in the military realm of life, some of the things aren’t exactly productive for our Christian hearts or minds. Instead, we are exposed to negative seeds that try to take root. (And let’s be honest– the same thing can be said for ALL areas of the world… it’s a fallen world. We have to deal with it. SIGH.)
So whats a gal (or guy) to do in those lonely moments?
First of all, we can pray. Like, a lot. We can beg for Jesus’ presence to fill us up, to be the light in darkness as we battle the heart-lonely feeling. Also, we can recognize when the enemy is trying to attack. (More than likely, he’s lurking– so watch out!) We can surround ourselves with others who build us up– Christians who are genuine in their walk with words, love AND deeds, so that when we are called to go out into the world and walk a new path (military or otherwise) we can be IN the world and not OF it… We can cling to our strong, solid roots in Christ.
Oh, and we can take heart knowing that we aren’t alone in our struggle. So many people, just like you (and me) struggle with this lonely-heart feeling that rears its ugly stinkin’ head from time to time.
Christ understands our struggles. After all, He was alone on that cross when He took His final breath for you and me.
Take heart, dear friends. Christians before and after you have felt the same thing you might be feeling right now. While it might seem like a long path, remember that with Christ and fellow Christians, our path is a not-so-lonely road.
Hand in Hand with Him,
SGK
“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.” ~John 15:19 NIV
PS: Where or when do you find yourself most lonely? How does Christ show up in those moments? Let us know– comment below.
Some Comments On Commenting
Aight, beloved readers… (That means “All right” for those of you not currently residing in the south.) Today, for essentially the first time in my blog history, I write to you from atop my soapbox.
No, we will not be discussing politics. (Yikes.) And no, I will not be preaching about the “hard stuff” from the Bible. Instead, I am going to share with you my comments… on commenting.
Yes, I am writing about commenting on blogs. Those of you in the “blogging community” will <hopefully> understand and support this idea… but for you beloved readers who don’t have a blog of your own, I just want to share with you how important it is to comment on blogs.
You can't actually comment "here" per say... but you can scroll to the bottom and comment. Just sayin'.
Before I you think I am an ungrateful blogging heifer, please know that I am INCREDIBLY thankful for my loyal followers who have the courage to comment on my blog (or other folks’ blogs.) Seriously. Ever since I ”launched” this ministry two months ago and migrated to WordPress, my blog comments have been tremendous compared to my old site. So on that note, here are a few facts you might not know about commenting on our blogs…
1. Your comments keep us going. This is so, so, SO important, especially for us faith bloggers that are currently working for Jesus dollars, not world dollars. Blogging, especially daily, is freaking hard. Yes, it can be incredibly rewarding. But little tidbits in the form of your comments keep us pressing forward in the name of Jesus when our brains are mush and our fingers are sick of typing. Second to God, YOU are who we are writing for!!
2. We LOVE hearing your thoughts. When you respond to our post(s), it encourages our hearts that people actually DO read our stuff. Yeah, our stats might say people are stopping by, but a few comments mean more to us than a hundred page views. If you comment, it helps us to believe even more deeply in the mission to which we have been called. Plus, we love the interaction– writing to a silent screen can get a little monotonous. And if we talk to ourselves while we write (especially in public places like Starbucks) people think we are nuts. So save us the embarrassment and talk to us through the screen!
3. Your comments don’t have to be “profound.” If I EVER figure out who started THIS nasty little rumor, I am going to cut them. Or at least judo chop them in the neck. Seriously. Yeah, we love it when comments reflect/respond to something we actually wrote (because it means you actually read it) but your comments don’t have to be profound. We aren’t expecting a greek translation or a Scripture quote or a profound revelation that changes our lives (although sometimes that does happen, which is awesome.) But sometimes, just a simple “Amen sister!” Or “Great thoughts!” or “Really spoke to me!” can make all the difference. We comment on Facebook statuses and pictures all the time… why not take 14 extra seconds, comment on the actual blog and make it permanent? We appreciate ANY comments we receive on our blogs! (Except spam… we despise blog spam. It’s almost as yucky as the luncheon meat stuff.)
4. Your comments help our “legitness” factor. Yeah, so I made up that word… but seriously. When others view a blog, one of the first things they probably do is glance down at the bottom to see how many comments have been made. I certainly do that. If there are a lot of comments, that makes me think either A) Whatever the blogger wrote is super legit B) They have such an incredible platform that they could blog about ketchup and people would still love it or C) They are paying people under the table to leave comments. (I am pretty sure options A & B are the most feasible here.) Seriously though– if a “big dawg” publisher, minister, blogger, whoever lands on our page… Comments can make or break an opportunity that might lurking around the corner.
Blogging is like wearing a different outfit each day… although in our world, they are never going to be the SAME outfit. Sure, there are going to be occasions where a blog post might be the equivalent to t-shirt and sweats, but most days, we bloggers are hopeful that someone will notice and comment. Think about how you feel each time you sport a new haircut or outfit and someone positively mentions it to you… It can keep you going for the rest of the day! Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. And for those of us in the Jesus blogging world– we love warm and fuzzy. (Or feisty and festive. Whatever.)
Finally, we know that God encourages us throughout Scripture. From the beautiful and romantic words of Song of Solomon to the promises of Jesus, He offers encouragement to keep us going. And while those reminders keep us reaching for Jesus, sometimes we need a little earthly help from our readers to have the courage to face our keyboard again as we share our hearts.
Aight… (it’s slacking grammar day if you can’t tell…) I hope the above case for the importance of commenting on blogs has empowered you to take heart and reach out to those of us who have been called to blog for Jesus… And before you roll your eyes thinking this is a desperate attempt for feel-good moments, please note that this is not a plea for more comments on my blog. If you don’t believe me, comment on some of these other Jesus gals’ blogs if you don’t feel called to comment on 7 Days Time. It’s not about the numbers… It’s about the mission.
Check out (and comment on– hint, hint!) these other blogs…
Kelli (my beloved boss) at Living for One.
Jen over at Finding Heaven Today
Shannon at Jesus & My Orange Juice
Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama
Colleen at The Restarter Home
WHEW! Aight, I need to click publish before the view from my soapbox makes me so dizzy I pass out (or chicken out.)
Oh… and just in case this post actually stuck… feel free to leave a comment here.
Sharing the Jesus Comment Love,
SGK
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” –1 Thessalonians 5:11
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