ManageYourEmotionsBook8.5x5.5_RevJULY.indd

college freshman three hours away from home. However, I wasn’t lonely. In fact, I quickly made new friends and found myself invigo- rated by my studies, activities, and new surroundings. Also, loneliness isn’t synonymous with solitude . It would be- hoove us, in fact, to break away from the noise and confusion of life and get alone with God. Jesus often sought solitude, withdrawing from the crowds into secluded places. (See Matthew 14:13, Mark 1:12, 1:45, 14:32.American poet and novelist May Sarton said, “Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self.” 17 Finally, loneliness isn’t the same as isolation . You can very easily experience loneliness in a crowd. Quite frankly, crowds often enhance loneliness. Having touched on what loneliness isn’t, allow me to make a brief statement about what it is: “Loneliness is a painful sense of being unwanted, unneeded, uncared for, maybe even unnecessary.” 18 With that in mind, let’s explore what creates loneliness. Grief- Once again, King David serves as a prime example. At times, it seemed as though he spent as much time hiding out from enemies as he did reigning on his throne.These words give an indication of the pain he felt when his son Absalom seized David’s throne and contemplated killing him: “O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no deliverance for him in God”(Psalm 3:1-2). In the summer of 2016, my mother passed away at the age of 86. She and my dad, who shared a strong love and were certainly a team, had been married 65 years. Needless to say, he grieved heavily, having no desire to live, sitting alone in his house day after day. He’s since moved into an assisted living facility, where, I’m happy to say, he’s made a vast improvement. He still misses mom, yet enjoys the company of the other residents. Rejection- For many, what has become a maze of loneliness started with rejection.The prophet Jeremiah served four decades, spanning the reign of five kings. Known as “the weeping prophet,”

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