Loneliness can be felt by any one of us, at any time & in the most surprising of settings.
Welcome dear friend, come & sit with me for awhile as we reflect upon this strange emotion while sipping our cuppa’s together.
I have prepared a hot cup of Creme Brulee tea, which is absolutely delicious & have a few slices of the most deliciously moist gf fruit cake especially baked for me by an old friend.
In the years I spent as a mental health professional I have met many people who felt alone, lonely or immersed in the feelings of loneliness in the situations that were impacting their lives.
I’m sure most of us can relate to this emotion at some point in our life.
So what is this thing called loneliness?
The dictionaries define it as;
“Solitary, isolated, unfrequented, sad because of being companionless.”
However I believe this definition is a little too simplistic.
There are many ways to feel alone or lonely, they are not necessarily being isolated, solitary or companionless.
Let me personalize this for you…
There was a time in my life many years ago, before I was a registered Therapist, when I went through a very difficult situation with a significant Other in my life.
In other words loneliness is a state of mind…it isolates us within our own thoughts, feelings & emotions…
During that time I felt I could not share the situation with those who cared.
I was already totally overwhelmed & could not deal with the emotions of others that I knew sharing would evoke.
But through that time a new growth in my faith occurred, as I knew deep down that I was not spiritually alone as the God of the universe had promised;
“I will never leave you,
nor will I ever forsake you, so that we can confidently say, the Lord is my Helper,
I will…[be brave]”
Hebrews 13:5-6
Trusting in the above promise gave me courage to sought God’s guidance & direction for the intolerable situation.
Through much prayer & fasting for major change.
God answered my prayers, a major change did occur.
But it was not in this significant Other. It happened in me!
I came to realize, through God’s Word, pastoral advice & circumstances that our Heavenly Father does not expect us to be in a situation that is dangerous & toxic to our wellbeing.
I also came to realize that the patterns of behaviour that had been & were being acted out, solely belonged to this Other.
For I had gone above & beyond, time & time again in my love & support for them throughout the years but they had refused to acknowledge & accept my support.
And finally, I realized...
We can’t help those who don’t want to be helped or acknowledge their need for help!
Only God can help them, if they allow Him!
But we can take all the necessary steps to protect our own heart from their destructive behaviour towards us.
That greatly impacts our life & the lives we are responsible for…
“ Guard your heart [dear ones] for it is a wellspring of life…”
Proverbs 4:23
So, dear friend, let me assure you that whatever situation you are facing you are not alone.
As there is a mighty Heavenly Father who deeply loves & cares for you.
Even when your thoughts, feelings & emotions may try to convince you otherwise!
Until next time,
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
© 2019 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photo on Pexels.com
Blog link ups Featured at Grace & Truth Linkup & Skywatch
I agree fully Jennifer, that we can feel alone even when busy and surrounded by people. I’m so glad you found the support and strength you needed for your life and happiness. Thank you for sharing. Marie xx
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I am too 😀 Thank you Marie ♥
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Such a beautiful post about the pure love and faithfulness of our awesome God! Such a great read to start my day! Thank you.
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Thank you for your kind words, He is so faithful 😀
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Jennifer, as always, a beautiful post. God’s beautiful promise that He will never leave us is such a comfort in those times when others (friends) do leave. You are such an encourager!
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Thank you Pam, what a lovely kind thing to say! He is definitely a comfort ♥
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When I was at the gym, the television was on and showed a graph about the extent of loneliness in various age groups in the U.S. Interestingly, to me, was how lonely young people are. Here they are in constant electronic contact with tons of “friends” and yet so alone.
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Yes, apparently this generation though the most connected by digital means are socially the loneliest generation that has been recorded. Sad!
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That is such a shame. And they think they are connected. We underestimate how much is communicated face to face, particularly empathy.
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And human companionship 😉
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So true. We can feel alone even surrounded by people. We can feel no one loves us, understands us, part of a group, and isolated. Our thoughts play a large role in our feeling alone. Praying this article blesses those feeling alone.
Enjoyed the cuppa. And the fruit cake.
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Yes our emotions can be a driving force behind our thoughts on all things…especially loneliness.
Glad you enjoyed your time here Theresa! 😀
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I have also had a similar feeling of loneliness in the midst of a crowd. Thank you for the wonderful reminder that we are never alone. God is with us always. Blessings to you, Jennifer.
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You’re welcome Laurie, yes He is our comfort in all things & situations 😀 Praise Him!
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I agree, we can feel lonely even when we are surrounded by people. It can be the feeling that there is part of us we can’t share or that others won’t understand, and like you I have kept quiet at times because of the reactions I expected from others if I shared. The times of loneliness have definitely helped me grow though as feeling I couldn’t talk to others made me talk to God more and grow in my relationship with him.
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It’s comforting to realize that He is at our sides always & at times carrying us through the situations that cause us to feel lonely… Lovely having you drop by Lesley 😀
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Oh so much grace and truth here, Jennifer! And this, right here –>’our Heavenly Father does not expect us to be in a situation that is destructive & toxic to our wellbeing…’
Oh so true.
What a powerful post!
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Thank you Linda, God’s grace is such a powerful comfort to us in the circumstances that lead us to cling to Him for His wisdom in the situation.
Lovely having you over for a cuppa. 😀
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Loneliness is an epidemic in our world. Thank you for addressing it here–and blessings to you.
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Yes, it has become an epidemic in today’s world, very sadly but we are never truly alone & that is the hope we can impart to others 😀
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Great reminder that we are never truly alone if we have a relationship with Christ. And that there are times when we need something different than human companionship. Jesus’ care can be even more helpful as He teaches us and grows us in some of the hardest of times. He’s gotten you through so much–thanks for sharing your relationship with us!
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Absolutely & it’s a pleasure.
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I love this post, Jennifer. We must have that direct link to Jesus if we are to overcome any issue such as loneliness. And it’s also amazing how much toxic relationships impact our lives in such a negative way. I’ve chosen your post as my Grace & Truth feature this week. Please pop by my site tomorrow to get the “I Was Featured” button!
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Oh, thank you Aimee! What a privilege! 😀
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