Feeling lonely

Any one of us can feel lonely at any time & in the most surprising of places. Can’t we?

And at this time of the year, with celebrations & gatherings of families & friends all around us, can magnify the feeling of loneliness for many.

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.

In the years I spent as a mental health professional I met many people who felt alone, lonely or immersed in the feelings of loneliness.

Although, I’m sure most of us can relate to the feeling of loneliness at some point in our life.

And this feeling can particularly hit at this time of the year in a very real way.

Even surrounded by family & others!

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 far too simplistic.

There are many ways to feel alone or lonely, that are not necessarily in isolation, solitary or companionless.

Let me personalize this…

There was a time in my life many years ago, before I was a Clinical Therapist, when I went through a very difficult time with a Significant Other in my life.

During that time I felt I could not share the situation with those who cared.

I was already overwhelmed in the situation & could not deal with the emotions of others that I knew sharing my situation would evoke.

Thus I felt very alone & lonely under these circumstances.

Newfound Growth 

However, through that time sprouts of new growth did occur in my faith.

For I knew deep down that I was not spiritually alone as God had promised the following;

“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 this promise I sought God’s guidance in what to do for the situation that had become intolerable.

And through much prayer & fasting, asking for a major change to occur in the situation.

God answered my prayer,

a major change did occur!

But the change was not in this Significant Other.

It was in me!

I came to realize, through God’s Word & pastoral advice that our Heavenly Father does not expect us to be in a situation that is dangerous to our wellbeing.

I also came to realize that the patterns of behaviour that had been & were being acted out, solely belonged to this Significant Other.

For I had gone above & beyond in my love & support for them over many, many years.

However, they had refused to acknowledge or accept this love & support.

And finally, I realized...

We can’t help those who won’t acknowledge their need for help!

Only God can help them, if they allow Him to do so, & that may mean a long winding path of self destruction before they allow His healing into their life.

But what we can do is take all the necessary steps to protect ourselves from their destructive behaviour towards us.

That impacts our life & the lives of those 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 in that has you feeling alone or lonely you are not alone!

There is a mighty Heavenly Father who deeply loves & cares for you beyond what you can ever imagine.

He’s right there with you!

Even when your thoughts, feelings & emotions try to convince you otherwise!

Until next time,

Jennifer 

You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook

Or 

In Prayer

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© 2022 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photo by Maria Orlova on Pexels.com

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