The Void of Loneliness by Robin Densmore Fuson
Are you
lonely? Been lonely? Isolated?
There are
many reasons for being lonely, even in the middle of a crowd. God created us
for companionship. In the Garden of Eden, the Lord said it’s not good for man
to be alone and He made a helper for him—woman. (Genesis 2:18, 21-23)
Jesus Christ
had three close friends, Peter, James, and John. He had other friends and
together they made up the twelve disciples.
Friends,
spouses, children, parents, and neighbors are all important to our well-being.
When we are
without that close relationship, our souls hurt. Twelve years ago, I lost my
first husband, David and I knew loneliness. My family lived near but I didn’t
have that one person. There gaped a huge void.
Two long
years later, God filled that void for me when he brought Jimmy to be my
husband. My heart healed.
In 2018,
Jimmy and I moved from Colorado to Tennessee. In the middle of the pandemic in
2020, we made another move to Florida. Crazy right?
The move from
Colorado hurt my soul. My best friends lived there. I was only four hours from
my parents. The activities that enriched my life were there. Loneliness gripped
my heart.
My husband,
Jimmy, did his best to ease my sore heart. He was terrific. My son and his
wonderful family lived in Tennessee and I loved on them. I met new friends but
I still missed those special loved ones in Colorado.
I desired my
Colorado comrades.
When we moved
to Florida, we were alone. For all of us, churches were closed. Masks were the
norm. People were scarce. Even strangers kept their distance.
We knew no
one in our part of Florida.
Isolation.
Isolation is terrible.
You crave the smiles of strangers but they are hidden. You desire the hug of a
friend. I was lucky—I had my husband and my dog, Kenzi.
God’s word became
more important. I focused on the Psalms. Those comforting words got me through.
Back in
Tennessee, I began a journey of listening to the Bible all through the night. I
placed it right by my pillow so those comforting words floated into my
subconscious thoughts.
My nightmares
lessened.
Even now, when
I wake in the night, His words of life flow over me. I listen for a moment to
see where I am in the narrative. I rest. I fall back to sleep with His words
swirling around and into my soul.
In lonely
times, He is our comfort. In isolation—from a pandemic, health reasons, loss of
a loved one, a move, or whatever causes it, run to the Lord and His word. His
word and the Holy Spirit will strengthen you. He will help fill the void.
Loneliness is
real. We need to reach out to others who, at some level, are also experiencing
loneliness. We are commanded throughout the New Testament to do good things for
others. To hang out with others. There are many ‘one another’ passages. Encourage each other and build each other
up, just as you are already doing. (1Thessalonians 5:11 nlt)
A friend
posted that, though months after the loss of her husband, she still feels the
sting. In her loneliness, she counted the things for which she was thankful.
That’s a great exercise.
All of us,
every day, should thank the Lord for what we do have. Today, I’m thankful for
waking and being migraine free. For my husband, my family, old friends that are
a text away, food, my home, my new friends, church and Bible study groups, and
I’m thankful for you.
What are
things that make you thankful? What blessings has God given you? Who do you
know that needs your words of encouragement?
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