I Am Not Alone

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There's a woman in my church who is known to declare that certain things are "from the pit." (Yeah, I'm looking toward the Scott family.) She says it half-jokingly, but she's pretty much spot-on with her assessment. 

 And right now I'm walking through life with a few friends--of at least three different generations--who feel alone. Either through pain or shame or fear, they feel no one understands, no one is there, and there's no one they can tell everything to.

 So please picture me gently grabbing your sweet chin and saying to you, like my friend, "That is a lie. Straight from the pit."

 You are not alone. Do not believe the voice telling you otherwise.

 "I know," you say, "Jesus promises to be with me." Indeed He does:

  • In Matthew 28:20 Jesus said, "And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
  • Romans 8:11 promises, "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you."
  • And God promised in Isaiah 41:10, "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
  • God with you. Jesus with you. The Spirit IN you.

(Need more scripture? Find it here.)

 But there is more. 

 Not only is God Himself with us, but He sent others--flesh and blood friends and family--to be with us on His behalf, as well.

 But the enemy of your soul--who is known for lying--wants you to believe otherwise. He lures you into temptation and whispers, "If anyone finds out, you'll never live it down," or "People will think you're crazy if you tell them," or "No one else has been through this. No one will understand."

 LIES.

 In my 40 years of life, 18 years of marriage, and 9 years of being a mother, I have been overwhelmed with the number of women who will look me in the eye and say, "I have been there, sister. I'm here for you." And though there are a few seemingly-perfect women out there who claim to have it all together, I have found that most women are not like that. 

 Most women are more than welcome to commiserate, listen, encourage, and share their own stories. I have so many sisters in Christ who have experienced loss, trauma, abuse, shame, and more. And they are willing to tell their stories to help someone going through the same thing.

  • So to my friend walking through the love-less marriage, you are not alone.
  • To my friend who just suffered a miscarriage, you are not alone.
  • To my friend struggling with identity and a life path, you are not alone.

I hear you, girl. You're saying, "I sure feel alone."

 Well, that's different.

 Because what you feel is not what you are.

 Though our emotions are powerful, and genuine, and always to be validated, emotions are not truth. They are not reality. Our emotions are swayed by our fears and our past and our stress and our hormones. (Can I get an "AMEN!?!?") Our emotions let us know that something big is going on that we need to honestly and faithfully carry to the Father. We allow Him to analyze our situation and we choose to believe the truth of it through His Word, not through our emotions.

 So if you'll promise me to A) Not listen to the lies of Satan and B) Spend every spare minute in the Bible, soaking God's love and truth, I'll give you a few more tips for what to do when you feel lonely:

  • Stay in conversation with God. Your feelings have no power in the light of God's presence. Walk with Him through the time of feeling alone.
  • Accept the fact that sometimes God will isolate you from others for your good and His glory. This blog post might give you some comfort.
  • Get away from imitation community, such as social media or digital communication. Call a friend and go out for coffee. Join a Bible Study or a ministry or start a book club. Engage in real community with women around you who will be honest and loving and hopeful. (This blog post might help point you in the right direction.)
  • Devote a set-aside period of time with God. It might be a Friday night or a weekend or two hours before your kids wake up tomorrow. Grab your Bible and start reading the Psalms out loud. Let Him know you believe Him more than you believe your feelings. (One more blog post. These are all so good!)

Choose to know and believe what God says. He is truth and His Word reveals it.

 Oh, last thing: this song :)

 Don't believe the lies and don't believe the fears. 

 You are not alone. And neither is that friend that came to mind as you read this. Can you share truth with her?
@leslienotebook
myleslienotebook@gmail.com

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