SPIRITUAL WELLNESS AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH - Loneliness.

I heard an interesting story last week. Let me give you my paraphrased version.

“Edna decided to clean out the bird cage using her vacuum cleaner. She gingerly placed the nozzle of the hose at the bottom of the cage. Then the phone rang. After she had instinctively answered it, she noticed “Chirpy” was missing. She immediately hung up and opened the vacuum cleaner. There was “Chirpy” all covered in dust. Quickly she began to shake off the dust and rushed to the bathroom sink and put him under the tap and turned on the cold water. Noticing the bird shaking violently, she took her blow dryer and proceeded to dry him off before returning him to his cage. Later, her friend who had called her earlier, asked about “Chirpy”. Edna replied, “ Chirpy is not the same any more, he just sits there and stares!”

Life circumstances, often take away our song, leaving us traumatized. I have recently been reading Charles Stanley’s book, “The Source of My Strength”.  A dear friend of mine shared with me from this book some timely words of encouragement when I hit a wall in my life’s journey.  I picked up the book recently as I was unpacking and began to casually read it. I got hooked and decided to study it for the benefit of my spiritual wellness and emotional health.  I would like to share with you some of what I gleaned from this book.

Today, I will talk about Loneliness, which maybe the most painful experience in life.  Thousands of people feel abandoned, isolated, ostracized, alone feeling lonely.

Divorce for example is a very traumatizing event that may result in the overwhelming feeling of intense loneliness and isolation from the rest of the world.

The elderly suffer loneliness over what once was. Such loneliness is intensified by the grief of losing a spouse.

For me it was the feeling of abandonment and being ostracized from a recent life experience that filled me with an overriding feeling of loneliness, similar to what retirees often feel when they are cut off from acquaintances and colleagues.

The good news is the transforming, life changing power of Jesus Christ can heal our wounded hearts.

He stated one day in a Jewish Synagogue, “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me. He has put His hand on Me to preach the Good News to poor people. He has sent Me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent Me to tell those who are being held that they can go free. He has sent Me to make the blind to see and to free those who are held because of trouble." NLT.

David the infamous psalter experienced this truth in his life and wrote,  " I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
³ He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.” NLT.

You may feel traumatized by your life experience; maybe loneliness has taken away your song. Don’t just “sit and stare” patiently seek the Lord’s help.

Charles Stanley in “The Source of My Strength”, p19. Suggests,

“When you are feeling lonely…turn first to the Lord. He would love to spend time with you! Talk to Him about how you are feeling. Ask Him to comfort your heart, and to send a friend your way.”

It worked for me!

Visit my web site www.pastorsinnministries.com  and receive information on services which may help you to heal from your heart wounds. RETREATS are returning in September, email for more information.

Blessings!

Pastor H.