In the middle of a local coffee shop, I watched a swirl of people come in and out and felt a wave of loneliness settle on me. I had just finished visiting a family who is facing illness and tough decisions, and their words kept ringing in my head: “It’s such a lonely journey.” Their pain was profound as they encountered numerous battles around this illness. I found myself feeling those same feelings as I said goodbye to my precious Dad this week. I have heard the word “lonely” many times during these past two years of pandemic, and with the virus surging again, even more people are telling me how alone they feel. In that coffee shop, with people all around me, I could relate. I was feeling that raw place of “alone”. The unknown can make us feel like we’re stranded on an island with no way to escape. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I prayed for this family and all who are walking through sickness and heartache and cried out to Jesus from my own hurting place from the loss of my father. As I finished the prayer, I exhaled and whispered the name. Jesus. I thought about the loneliness Jesus faced as the disciples turned and left him. One by one, the people He trusted deserted Him, and in anguish He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mark 15:34). Jesus experienced loneliness all the way to the cross, and then the ultimate separation from the Father. This is why I can bring the hurt to him, and trust that He feels it with me on a deep level. He cares infinitely more than we can know.
Because of the sacrifice Jesus made, you are never alone or separated from His presence. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). As I sat in the coffee shop, letting the wave of loneliness pass over me, the words of this verse surrounded and settled my soul. Never is a long time, but this verse gives us a promise we can hang on to. These are the moments when God is most real to me. He reminds me I can come to Him with my secrets and heartbreak, knowing that His ear is tuned to my voice. God wants to listen to my long 
list of hurts and complaints. When I don’t have the strength, He helps me forgive those who hurt me. When my heart is aching from loss, He pours out amazing grace and comfort. When I am tired, He fights the battles for me. As I sat whispering the name of Jesus, over and over, I also asked Him to remove the blinders so I can see the situation as He sees it. I need that clarity.
list of hurts and complaints. When I don’t have the strength, He helps me forgive those who hurt me. When my heart is aching from loss, He pours out amazing grace and comfort. When I am tired, He fights the battles for me. As I sat whispering the name of Jesus, over and over, I also asked Him to remove the blinders so I can see the situation as He sees it. I need that clarity. Are you feeling alone? Abandoned in your situation? Are you feeling raw and even numb perhaps? No struggle is too big for God, and no situation is off limits. He wants us to bring the loneliness and pain to Him and lay it at His feet. When we’re honest about our pain and allow Him in, he begins to fill those empty spaces and breathe new life into our situation. Whether I am in a crowd of people, or isolated in my house, I have Someone who will never leave me or forsake me. You do, too. It’s a promise I am hanging on to, for myself and for all my dear friends who are walking through broken places. I keep breathing in the name Jesus – a reminder that I am never alone.