THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT LONELINESS

[I've written several articles for the front page of my church's bulletin, called Around the Ridge, over the last couple years and I thought I'd start sharing some of them on this here blog. I guess they could be considered mini-devotions in a way; around 200 words given on the topic we were discussing during the church service that week. Anyway, it's stuff I've written and I figured why not juice up my blog when the only work I have to do is copy & paste?]

"The Good News About Loneliness"
Around the Ridge article, Jan. 17-18, 2009

Are you burdened with sadness? Do you ever feel isolated, cut off? Have you sometimes wondered if anyone would notice if you weren't around? Loneliness is one of the most prolific emotions of the human experience; we've all felt its sting. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said truly, "The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved."

The greatest comfort in this, the "good news" about loneliness is that, first of all, God cares about lonely people! Psalm 34:18 says, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit." And secondly, God has provided other people to help us bear our troubles. Galatians 6:2 says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

God's solutions are so often counter-intuitive. "Lose your life to find it." "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." They don't always seem to make sense. Your own burdens don't disappear when you're helping carry someone else's, but somehow, mysteriously, they seem lighter when you turn your attention to another person. And the same thing happens for someone else when they're caring for you.

Today we are exploring the "others" part of CRC's mission statement: "To lead people in a growing relationship with God and others." There are plenty of opportunities for you to "get connected" and start sharing the load of your burdens' and others.