Probably for all of us, there have been the moments when we feel like we’ve been left alone by those we thought would never leave us?
And it seems like the Christmas season while the song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year", when we feel alone, is probably the last thing on our minds to think or remotely believe.
Have life’s pressures seem to have driven people from us? If we are in a season of loneliness, sadness, maybe loss, while hard, we are not alone!
Forward Friday has us on our Christmas pilgrimage, on the road #2 and reminds us that even when it’s not easy, the truth is that we are never alone. Some encouraging thoughts in the Christmas story can help lean our thoughts towards the greatest truth that Heaven came down to and for us! And as always, there’s good medicine at the end!
Let’s Get Into This!!
We are all on a journey. We may be traveling a road regarding our health, dreams, family, finances, or employment etc.
We may be straddling a path of relationships.
We are all traveling to some degree in varying areas of life, and to God, the journey is often more important than the destination.
In conversations with a number of people at various times last week, I noticed that a lot of the comments centered around journeys, walking and the loneliness or the feeling of being alone in those moments of their journeys. Things like:
One said that after hearing of their mom and dad’s divorce, they ran away and stayed at a friend’s house for a few days. They couldn’t believe at 13 yrs old, they had to deal with this. She said prayed to God and asked why she couldn’t have parents like some of her friends.
Still feels the pain of loss even to this day of brokenness especially around this season..
Another said that they were feeling alone and edgy as this was going to be the first Christmas without their mom.
Mom was the centerpiece of all his Christmases past and how was this going to work?
One said that she has felt very alone; because of her belief in being able to think for herself in the past 2 plus years, many who would have been considered friends shunned and ostracized her for thinking on her own 2 feet.
People could not comprehend or accept that she could think outside of common narratives. She felt and still feels abandoned, left alone.
A young man was crushed that his dad who hasn’t seen him since he was 11yrs old couldn’t come in for his 18th birthday celebration and said he’d just send money.
He said while he’d take the money to buy something, he really wanted his dad to be there…. But he felt alone…. Mom is sick in the hospital for the past number of months and dad couldn’t be bothered…. Alone and sad.
I’ve had similar times of unsolicited, unwanted and uninvited isolation. But though I felt lonely—I was not alone.
But though I felt lonely—I was not alone.
Friends can even be fickle when we face adversity and tough times. Family can grow silent when they don’t know what to say.
Sometimes, it is during our hardest times that we learn who loves us the most.
But falling into a pit of self-pity and/or self-loathing doesn’t work because that thinking does us no good for any length of time if any.
But Now For Some Good Medicine
Think about some of the nuances of this incredible Christmas story.
Mary and Joseph were on a journey too, and it wasn’t effortless.
The roughly 90-100 miles between Nazareth and Bethlehem was no cake walk.
It was rugged terrain, uphill and down, and filled with wild animals and the wild marauders, thieves, ready to pounce and prey upon vulnerable travelers.
There were no Walmarts, Seven-Elevens, or McDonald’s to run into for needed supplies or food.
No service stations where one could go and take a break from the journey.
Remember, being pregnant and most likely walking would be no joke. Their journey was treacherous, uncomfortable, and inconvenient.
But there are some simple yet profound lessons from the Christmas couple’s Hope Road walk.
1. They were laser focused. They knew where they had to get to and kept their eye on the prize.
It doesn’t appear they allowed distractions, distance, or discomfort to get in their way.
How often have we given up on hopes, dreams, or God’s promises because we have pulled the card that it is just too difficult, expensive, hurts too much or taking too long?
2. I think we forget that God is big enough and strong enough to help us through any situation......
Mary and Joseph trusted God even when all seemed impossible or implausible.
But because of fear and some bad teaching or implied thought at times, we subconsciously believe our troubles, loneliness (for whatever reasons) and trials are because God trusts his people to carry sickness/trouble/problems because, well, he gave them to us or allowed us to just have to deal with it. Sounds good on a Hallmark card but could be no further from the truth.
If that’s the case, then God is schizophrenic, but I have no doubt that God is no schizophrenic, crazy mad scientist cooking up some new way for his children to be bound by fear and any other evil manufactured attack.
Life’s pilgrimages are a lot like waiting, as we can learn. We can either choose to journey and wait well in God’s rest, presence and hope or travel and waste our time complaining and frustrated in our strength.
Let’s choose the first. Because the journey is significant.
And like Mary, He wants to grow something wonder-full within our lives. Let’s not miss His audacious/daring/bold plans.
Last Thoughts:
This can’t be just a good motivational talk because when loneliness and the journey is not easy, we need some bedrock truths to encourage us to move forward in faith, strength and confidence.
John 10:10 says, the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy but Jesus came to give us life and life to the fullest!
Maybe this Christmas season is not what we may want it to be because of the things we are facing and we may already be dreading the feelings……..
If we’re truly not alone on the road of life we’re walking, maybe this is as good a time as any to look up and focus on our heavenly Father.
When we get down, God is strong enough to lift us up.
On this journey of life we are walking, we are not alone when God is with us!
Joseph also went up from Galilee…into…the city of David, which is called Bethlehem…to be registered with Mary… Luke 2:4-5
Linking arms with you as we walk on the Hope Road Pilgrimage To Christmas!
Dave
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