Transforming Loneliness into a Journey of Faith / S3E19

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Ever wonder how it's possible to feel lonely even when you believe you're never truly alone? Join me on a reflective journey as I share personal stories of navigating the isolation that sometimes accompanies faith. Drawing inspiration from biblical figures such as Adam and Jesus, I uncover the profound human need for companionship and explore how our moments of solitude can be transformative rather than debilitating. As we contemplate scriptures like Genesis 2:18 and Psalm 42:1-2, we find insight into how God might use these lonely periods to draw us nearer to Him. Through anecdotes of life transitions, such as moving and feeling distanced from loved ones, this episode offers a heartfelt look at how loneliness can either challenge or enrich our spiritual lives.

Patience and trust in God's timing are powerful tools when facing life's uncertainties, and I emphasize this through the lens of personal growth and faith renewal. Inspired by Phil Driscoll's music, the conversation highlights the strength found in waiting on the Lord, particularly during times of fear and apprehension. With a focus on the initial invincibility that comes with inviting God into our hearts, I offer encouragement to those struggling with apprehension, urging them to cast aside their worries and trust in God's unfolding plan. This episode is a comforting reminder of the unwavering support and presence of God, even in our loneliest moments.

My website is https://www.godslovingsacrifice.com

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, the first thing we want to do today is to
thank Ziegler Services forsponsoring this podcast for the
month of January.
They offer snow removal,landscaping, lawn care, tree
service, fencing, firewood andother home maintenance services
to Indianapolis and thesurrounding areas.
Contact them at ZieglerServicesat gmailcom.

(00:23):
That's Ziegler Z-E-I-G-L-E-Rservices at gmailcom.
Thank you, ziegler Services.
Well, we'll talk aboutsomething that I've been kind of
going through this week.
It's been a rough week for mebecause, as a Christian, since

(00:46):
God's always with us, should webe lonely, should we suffer from
loneliness?
God is always with me and hedoes such wonderful, wonderful
things and I never feel alonebecause I always know that he is
right here.
I feel alone because I alwaysknow that he is right here, but

(01:16):
sometimes I feel lonely becauseI know that God is with me.
But sometimes we need thathuman contact and it is because,
as humans, we are emotional, wehave needs, that God can meet
each of our needs.
But sometimes the way he meetsour needs is to send someone
there to be with us, and we aremeant to be with others.

(01:40):
When God created Adam, one ofthe things that he said was it
was not good that man should bealone.
That's in Genesis 2.18.
God was there with him in thegarden, but he still felt like
he needed another person, andeven Jesus.

(02:01):
When he was in the Garden ofGethsemane, he took some of the
disciples with him.
He was lonely, he was sorrowful.
Matthew 26, 38 says Then hesaid to them sorrowful even to

(02:28):
death, stay here and watch withme.
Even he needed that humancomfort that we long for.
And I have had so many ups anddowns this week.
I've had God, show me, send mesomeplace.
And I didn't say a lot to theperson.
I just saw someone else thatlooked sad and I asked them how
they were doing and they saidthey'd be fine.
And I said I'd pray for themand told them that God loved

(02:52):
them.
And I got in the car andstarted praying and in my mind I
was saying God, I hope what Isaid to them helped.
But what came out was God, Ihope what I said to them helped.
But what came out was God, Ihope what I said to them healed.
And that was so cool, becausethen my first instinct was to

(03:14):
say God, is that what you weredoing?
Is that what they needed?
Is that what they needed?
A healing.
They needed to know that youlove them.
I think it's so cool when youdo this and I do.
I think it's cool when God doesthose things and he was with me
, he was right there with me.
But I got in the car and I wentto work and some good things

(03:37):
happened for me at work and Iwas really excited and again I
felt like, well, this is God.
It was almost like God saidwell, look, you followed what I
asked you to do.
You did it, and here's what I'mgiving you for doing it.
But I was still lonely.

(03:58):
God had worked with me, theHoly Spirit had given me the
things to say.
I knew I wasn't alone, I knewthey were with me, but I was
still lonely.
And as Christians, when we'relonely, why?
Why are we lonely?

(04:19):
Well, like I said, it's humannature.
We were never meant to be alone.
But you know, sometimes we'relonely because God needs to draw
us closer to him.
Psalm says in 42, 1 and 2 saysas the deer pants for the stream

(04:42):
of water, so my soul pants foryou, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, forthe living God, and sometimes
that loneliness is just where heneeds us to be, for him to do a
work in us and I realize thatit's still hard to go through
that loneliness, and sometimesit's just circumstances of life

(05:09):
that make you lonely, and Ithink that's kind of where I am.
I'm kind of in limbo.
I'm going to be movingsomewhere else into South
Carolina, but I'm still here andI don't know how things are
going to go.
I know God's got it in control,so I'm kind of just waiting on

(05:31):
Him, but I'm trying to pack upmy house or get things ready to
go, but still want to be able todo things I want to do.
And my grandkids live with meand they're're busy in their
lives, and my son's in SouthCarolina and he's busy with his
life and my daughter's busy withher life and my friends are

(05:55):
busy.
They have their husbands andtheir families and their work
and I feel lonely.
I don't have a person to sharewith when I did have people to
share with, but things havegotten busy in other people's
lives.
So it's like God's leaving mekind of on my own and sometimes

(06:19):
I don't know if I like that ornot.
But that are the circumstances,not, but that are the
circumstances.
In 2 Timothy 4, 16 through 17,.
Paul speaks of being desertedby others, but strengthened by
God, it says.
At my first defense, no onestood with me, but the Lord
stood with me and strengthenedme.

(06:39):
And then sometimes the thingsthat we're going through may not
be nature, spiritual growth ora life circumstance.
One of the things might takethe thing that I talk about the

(07:00):
most, the armor of God, to getthrough.
Maybe it is a spiritual battlethat we're going through.
Sometimes we feel distant fromGod.
Now I don't feel distant fromGod.
I feel like he is so close tome right now.
I feel like he's comforting me.
I talked about it with my sonand he says well, mom, maybe you

(07:21):
should look down.
Maybe there's only one set offootprints in the sand with you
right now.
And that's so true.
I feel so close to him.
I feel like he's walking rightwith me through all of this.
But there's still thisloneliness, this separation I
feel from others.
And how do we handle that?
And how do we handle that?

(07:44):
What is the things that canhelp us get through the
loneliness that we feelsometimes, the loneliness that
comes on us?
One of the things is to reallyembrace that God is present with
you.
Hebrews said never will I leaveyou, never will I forsake you.

(08:08):
He'll never leave us or forsakeus, and I know that, and that's
one of the things that we needto remember.
You need to spend time inprayer and worship and inviting
God into your heart to give youpeace and comfort when you're

(08:29):
feeling these things.
We also need to seek out otherChristians.
Sometimes that's possible.
Sometimes it's not In theposition I'm in right now.
I have Christians around me but, as I said, a lot of them have

(08:49):
their own lives going on rightnow and I'm probably just
holding a pity party for myself.
Colossians 3, 12-13 saysTherefore, as the elect of God,
holy, beloved, put on tendermercies, kindness, humility,
meekness, longsuffering, bearingwith one another and forgiving

(09:11):
one another.
And you know that, asChristians, when we're helping
someone else out, we're helpingourselves.
Else out, we're helpingourselves.
Proverbs 11.25 says thegenerous soul will be made rich
and he that waters will also bewatered.
And that's true.
As you help others, it helpsyou, it builds your strength, it

(09:41):
gives you a blessing as well asgiving them a blessing.
And then sometimes we just haveto trust that there's a process
going on here and that God istaking care of things, and we
just have to trust his process.
But do you know he is aconstant presence.
Psalms 23.1 says the Lord is myshepherd.
The Lord is my shepherd, Ishall not want.
And Galatians 6.2 says Bear oneanother's burdens so fulfill

(10:06):
the law of Christ.
And in Revelations 21.4, itsays and God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes andthere shall be no more pain from
the former.
Things have passed away.
You know, there's a lot ofthings that go on in our lives
sometimes that we don'tunderstand.
We don't understand why we feelthe way we feel.

(10:30):
I've cried a lot of tears thisweek because of how I feel, but
were the tears bad that I criedor were the tears a washing?
I don't know why I feellonesome.
I just know that I have to dowhat God wants me to do, and I

(10:53):
don't know how many of you feellonesome.
Don't ever feel lonesome andnot talk to someone about it.
I've made it very verbal topeople how I feel and why I feel
the way I feel, and many ofthem have said hey, gayla, I'm
right here and right now.

(11:14):
They're not the answer.
My girlfriend I'm very close to, in fact she has my heart.
She came down and spent sometime with me and talked and I
felt better when she left, butyet it still wasn't her.

(11:35):
It's me, it's the way I feel me, it's the way I feel, and I
have to let God walk me throughthis time of loneliness to show
me what is there that he wantsme to see.

(11:55):
In one of my very first podcastsI did did a podcast on how I
love the valley, and I do lovethe valley, the valley.
When you're on a mountaintop,look down in the valley.
It's the rivers and thegrasslands and the trees and the

(12:16):
animals, and the tallmountaintops are barren.
The tall mountaintops arebarren.
So when we're in a valley, wemay feel like we're at our
lowest, but that's when Godfeeds us, that's when God
teaches us, that's when Godbrings us to His will, and

(12:40):
that's what I'm waiting on.
I'm waiting on God's will, andthat's what I'm waiting on.
I'm waiting on God's will.
I'm waiting on Him to show mewhat it is that he has for me to
do for Him.
Are you waiting on God?
Are you lonely?
Have you spoke to anotherChristian?
Do you realize that he said hewould never leave you or forsake

(13:06):
you when we go down these pathsthat we're not sure of.
The only thing we can do ispray and wait on the Lord.
I was listening to a song Idon't know how many of you have
heard of Phil Driscoll, but itreally spoke to me.

(13:26):
I just want you to listen tothe words of this song.
It says I remember you saidyou'd never leave me and in
times of trouble you'd be myfriend.
Sometimes, when doubt and feartry to steal my faith, well,
I'll just run to you.
I'll run to you.
I just set aside the cares ofthis world, fall in love with

(13:49):
you again.
I just throw away the cares ofthis world, fall in love with
you again.
I just throw away the troublesof this world and fall in love
with you.
And that's what we need to do.
We need to set aside the thingsthat we're going through.
We need to set aside the caresof the world.
We need to close our eyes andwait on him and fall in love all

(14:10):
over again.
You know, remember the firsttime you asked God into your
heart.
You remember that feeling thatyou had.
You were just invincible atthat point in time because you
knew that God was with you andthat he would never leave you or

(14:32):
forsake you, and he hasn't.
He hasn't left or forsaken me,but another song that Phil
Driscoll sings, too, is theythat wait upon the Lord shall
renew their faith.
They shall mount up with wingsas eagles, and that's what I

(14:52):
want to do.
I want to wait on the Lord.
I want to wait on the Lord andlet Him break me and heal me and
change me and lift me up.
Yeah, I'm lonely.
It's only a temporary place inmy life, though.

(15:15):
God is going to just take over.
Teach me something, show mesomething or lead me to
something.
Don't know what it is, and Iwant you all, if you're going
through something like this andmaybe it's not that you're
lonely, maybe you're afraid,maybe you're apprehensive, maybe

(15:37):
you're not sure of which way toturn or which way to go just
wait on the Lord.
Fall in love with Him again.