Let’s Talk: Loneliness.

loneliness

/ˈləʊnlɪnɪs/

noun

1. 1.

sadness because one has no friends or company.

"feelings of depression and loneliness"

Do you think this is what Hagar felt when she wandered off into the wilderness? Or when Jonah sat inside the fishes stomach for three days?

Loneliness is an emotion that can come in waves or sometimes it can last for a longer period of time. We may have all probably experienced some sort of loneliness in our lives at one time or another. When Isabella-Grace and I first moved out into the unknown, I felt incredibly lonely and strange! I too experienced a wave of loneliness, it was not what I was used to because it was unfamiliar territory. I had always grown up in a family home surrounded by love and happiness, so to move out with a small child and be alone it was a big difference for me. It took a while to get used to because she was still very young, she was 2 at the time. I still had my family around me, but when the day was over I would say, “okay see you all later, we are going home.”

I recall many nights where the burden I was carrying from moving away from one place to another became too much. I would hold her in my arms as she slept, I would just pray and cry because things were not going the way I had intended. It really left me feeling drained and at times so down because I felt like I was fighting battles that were not proving to be fruitful. Despite it all I knew God had a plan, I knew this because God has never failed my daughter and I yet. In every circumstance God has come through for us and although I could not see it at the time, God was working. Every tear I cried regarding our situation God counted, every pray I prayed God answered, every need we had God supplied, so I can assure you that God has not forgotten you nor is He ignoring you.

I often reflect on Hagar and how she may have felt being put in such a situation. She had nobody to stand up and fight for her, she had nobody to turn to, she had nobody to rest her head on and empty her thoughts to; or so she thought, but she had something much bigger, she had God. When Hagar wandered into the wilderness, scripture does not specify whether or not she knew where she was going or if she had a plan, but Hagar continued. It is then that the angel of the Lord appeared to her. At that point Hagar realised she was not alone, all the time she thought she was alone, she had God. God saw her hence why she called Him, “El Roi,” this is translated from the Hebrew bible as “the God who sees me.” God sent His angel to appear before Hagar to let her know that she was seen. He did not forget about her, he knew who she was and she was significant to Him. Just that one encounter with the angel of the Lord may have helped to turn Hagar’s life around. She finally realised she had more of a purpose. Hagar was obedient and returned back to where the Lord desired for her to go.

I would like you to answer these questions:

What does God have to do to get your attention and let you know that you are not alone because He sees you too?

Has God been trying to connect with you lately?

When is the last time you have sat and spoken to God?

God longs to have a relationship with all of His children, but He is a gentleman and will never force or impose Himself on His child(ren). He desires for you to come to Him and pour your heart out to Him so that He can build a sustainable, loving relationship with you. God does not desire for you to feel alone or for you to feel as if you are forgotten about. How can a loving God and a beautiful, compassionate Father forsake or forget His children?! It is impossible for God to forget you. He created you! He knows who you are, He knows your every thoughts and He wants you to know that you mean so very much to Him.

Psalm 139 perfectly describes and depicts the relationship God has with His children. He has one where you can try and hide from Him, you can flee to the furtherest part of the earth, you can hide in the darkest of caves, but you cannot ever hide from God. Nobody can go missing in God’s eyes because He knows too much about you. He loves you too much to take His eyes off you for even a second.

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” - Psalm 139:7-12.

God’s thoughts of you are good. God desires to give you good things and for you to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” - Psalm 139:17-18.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” - Jeremiah 29:11.

He knows life will have hardships hence why we have the comforter, the Holy Spirit, so really we are never alone! That is how glorious God is. When Jesus left the earth He left The Holy Spirit to help us to navigate life and not feel as if we are alone. I encourage you to speak with The Holy Spirit, talk to Him as you would a friend. Engage in communication with Him, ask Him questions, share your thoughts with Him, laugh with Him, treat Him how you would treat a friend. Do not allow anyone or anything to put you off from pursuing to build a connection with The Holy Spirit.

I have heard so many times that “Christians do not experience depression” or “Christians do not feel lonely,” both are lies. There is no shame in saying you are a Christian and you feel down or you feel alone. Being a follower of Christ does not mean that you will not experience such, but it means that you have a source to tap into to help you to overcome such feelings. Continually seek Him and seek His face, continually reach out and connect with God not just for what He can do for you, but because you desire to have a relationship with Him. Pray with Him throughout the day, do not limit yourself to just the morning or the evening, I talk to Him throughout the day and He helps me to remember that I am not alone. Continue to reject feelings of negativity, reject the lies the enemy tells you, cover yourself in God’s word and remember WHO you are and WHERE you are coming from. It is a process, it is a process that will take some time, but when you truly experience God’s joy you will be able to understand that life will have its ups and downs, life will sometimes try to push you to a point where you no longer want to do anything, but you will begin to have a more positive outlook. Instead of constantly looking for the negative, you will naturally begin to look for the good. You will understand that there is a positive in everything because truly there is. Always remind yourself that your situation could have been worst and there are people who may be encountering much worst, so ALWAYS strive to give God thanks.

One thing I have consistently done is pray thanksgiving prayers. Praise and worship also has helped me too. When you are giving thanks to God for all He has done sometimes it can reduce you to tears because of the good that God has done in your life. Praise and worship helps because it encourages you to lift up your hands and your voices and praise Him. There is beauty in worshipping God, there is beauty in letting Him know that you love Him and that you appreciate all He has done and is yet to do. God has not brought you this far to leave you and move on. God has brought you to it and He will bring you THROUGH it!

“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” - ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬.

Mamas continue to speak the word of God over your lives and declare that you are an overcomer. There is NOTHING in this life that you cannot face and overcome.

I encourage you to to download my free resource to help you on your journey to speaking life over your life and your child(ren)’s lives.

With Love,

Roxanne-Sasha x