Today I’m dedicating the
words “you are not alone” to everyone who has ever experienced
difficulty and to the person who is currently experiencing difficulty, great or
small. We all experience difficulty in varying degrees and life’s
difficulties I've learned have a strange way of making us feel alone and isolated
in our frustration, in our fears, in our pain, or in our loss.
If you're in a difficult season right now and
you're reading this today, I’m here to remind you that you are not
alone. The promise of not being alone is one that
bears repeating. I believe we all benefit when we hear these words. These words
are healing and bring comfort. I also believe we need safe, strong people to
come along side of us, sometimes holding our hand to remind us of this over and
over again and especially when we're experiencing great difficulty and can no
longer think clearly or see light at the end of the tunnel. And today, for some
interesting reason, perhaps because I was home sick and had alot of time to
think, I felt led to remind you of this. Today when I was thinking about this,
I was thinking about a dear loved one who is experiencing a marital crisis. I
also thought about some dear loved ones who recently lost their parents
suddenly within an 8 week period of each other and yet another dear one who
continues to struggle because her brother passed away unexpectedly before she
had the chance to say I love you one more time. I also thought about the
red-headed young man I saw at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting a week ago who's
greatest sadness and biggest fear that day was being alone during the holiday
season, specifically on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Eve. He
admitted that he had hurt his family deeply, he also admitted his regret and
was concerned and wondered if his family would ever give him another chance. I
must admit to you that the pain on this mans face when he said those words
wrecked me. I had this huge lump in my throat. I have found myself
thinking about him several times since that day praying that he stays clean and
that his family would give him an opportunity to make it right. All families
deserve healing, and wholeness and restoration. I also thought about the woman
who showed up at the meeting who had only been clean for 10 days. Her face
looked tired, desperate and sad. I also thought about a friend of mine who
confessed to me the other day how lonely she's been feeling and how she had
desperately hoped and prayed that she would have already met that special
someone so she would have someone to share the holiday season with. I also
thought about a family member who recently quit smoking who confessed to me how
very difficult it's been for her to remain smoke-free.
And as I sat there thinking, my mind drifted
to those who are struggling with serious and major health issues, my friend who
is spending the week at the Mayo clinic, desperate for answers and desperate
for healing and for my friends who are battling cancer or who have a family
member battling cancer and for a lovely woman who reached out to me
a week ago to confess to me how very depressed she's been feeling. I also
thought about the recovering alcoholics and the people who had once been
addicted to drugs who now approach life one day at time, sometimes one hour at
a time desperately leaning on God for strength so they remain sober and
drug free.
This blog post, these words are for you dear
one. May these words bless you immeasurably and may they remind you that you
are not alone, never, ever. What we all have in common as human beings
is that we all suffer. Perhaps some of us suffer more privately and quietly
than others, but we all suffer and we all need a Savior. Someone who is reading
this right now needs to surrender some things to God. You've been holding on
too tightly and for too long and it's exhausting you. Sweet heart, you need to
allow God to take the steering wheel if you want to see change in your life. I
hope you'll do just that. God can only work with a fully surrendered heart. His
ways are far better than our ways and better than any plan we can ever dream
up. Allow Him to hold you, comfort you, love you, lead you, guide you, and heal you.
Allow me to share
with you a few thoughts I scribbled on a piece of paper late this afternoon
before I even thought I would be blogging about this topic.
Life will feel scary at times
but you are not alone.
Life will feel hard sometimes
but you are not alone.
Life will confuse you at
times but you are not alone.
Life will frustrate you
sometimes but you are not alone.
Life will break you sometimes
but you are not alone.
God created you for a
relationship with Him. You are not alone.
If you're going through difficulty, allow me
to remind you that life is still beautiful even if you can’t see that
right now and this thing that you’re going through, well, it will pass
and until it does, please, please remember that you are not alone.
There is a holy God who see’s all things, who knows all things and He loves you
ridiculously and endlessly. He really does and He is with you whether you feel
Him or not.
Until next time, may you feel God's presence
during your time of need and may that comfort you in ways you could never
imagine. Read on for some verses I found in the Bible just for you. These
verses are not just words but God's promises to us. My prayer for you today is
that you will find comfort in these verses and in the truth and promise that you
are never alone. And if you scroll down a bit more, there's a beautiful song I
posted from YouTube that I really love and hope it will remind you that you
are not alone. The song is called Timshel by Mumford &
Sons.
Blessings to you dear one,
xx, Ruthie
