When You're Lonely

Spreading The Truth One Byte At A Time

By Ron Bender© 2008, 2013

I know what it’s like to feel lonely.

The worst thing is to be in a group of people and feel alone… Other people are enjoying conversation, smiling, laughing, but it appears that no one wants to talk to you and you start to feel more and more self-conscious.  It seems like people are looking at you standing there all alone. You feel awkward, anxious, embarrassed, bad about yourself.

Maybe you have felt this way too.

The Psalmist Felt Lonely

The Psalmist did. He described himself as a lonely bird sitting atop the roof of house and waiting for the Lord (Psalm 102:7).

Time and again the Psalmist shows us how to pray our way out of loneliness and into the arms of the Lord: “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted” (Psalm 25:6; see also Psalm 142:4-5).

Lonely Places with Jesus

Jesus knew this lonely way of the Psalmist, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).

Over seven years ago I began praying in lonely places with Jesus for extended hours on a regular basis and I experienced what might surprise you: His presence was with me – I wasn’t alone!

I learned to draw strength and nurture from the reality of the risen Christ with me in solitude. I grew to know—really know, not just think or feel, but sense with a settled confidence deep within me— that Jesus was indeed with me when I was alone. To help me stay in tune with the presence of Christ I meditated on Scripture and used it to carry on a secret conversation with my Lord.

Then for the first time in my life when I was in a group situation where I found myself left out of conversation I was able to trust that Jesus was with me caring for me and so I was at peace. Secure and confident in my belovedness to my Lord, despite being alone in a crowd, I was then free to pray, “Lord, show me who near me needs a blessing right now? Use me to be your instrument of love.”

Sweet Solitude

Solitude with Jesus has become so sweet to my soul. One day hiking with Jesus in solitude I watched a lonely bird and wrote a prayer poem to express how the Lord loved me out of my loneliness:

A Lovely Bird

On the hillside

A lonely bird

Apart from the flock

Standing atop a reed

Blowing in the wind

I’m longing for a friend

~

From the heavens

A Lovely Bird

A heart for the flock

Stooping onto my reed

Dancing in the wind

We’re singing together

 

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Thank you!

Ron

Ronald Bender- President/CEO Bender Consulting.~http://www.benderbytes.net/bender_consult