It has been interesting to see
the progression of Penny's favorite songs. What in the song does a three year
old resonate with? The beat or the singer's voice or the lyrics or numerous
radio plays? I have no clue. Recently, Kari Jobe's I am Not Alone has made its way to the top of her list. Each time
its tune plays over her speakers, she stops what she is doing to sing. In the
car. Laying in bed to fall asleep. During quiet time. She stops to sing it out.
Every word. The lyrics are beautiful and I pray that they echo throughout each
of her years to come. If you have not had chance to hear it, have a listen.
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me
You will go before me
You will never leave me
God is always with you. He sees
you. He knows you better than you know yourself. He thought of you before the
world was made (Ephesians 1:4). He will never leave you. Recognizing that you are never truly alone allows you to turn your
focus from the lack of people to the awe of God. It forces you to change
the trajectory of your thoughts from yourself to God.
While community is extremely
important - having a group of people who pray for you and give wisdom and
bounce ideas off of and give you things to smile about is - sometimes it is not
found in your daily proximity, which can give way to isolation. A place that
will wear you out and have you questioning and has bits of hope seeping through
the cracks. The perfect spot for the enemy to come to steal and kill and
destroy and make you feel sorry for yourself, unless you keep your eyes on God
and keep refocusing and pressing in to him, which in turn will mold you in to his
likeness.
There are seasons were God gives
time to spend with people and time to spend with mainly him. To purify you and
give you compassion for others who will go through similar struggles. You can sympathize
with someone on a matter but unless you have experienced it first hand, it is
impossible to truly know the dynamics in its entirety.
During our brief stint in
Washington state, it was surreal not to have a job or social circle or my
immediate family nearby. It was the first time I prayed for friends, which
seemed really odd at the time but God provided them in his time and I learned
more about him than I had ever known and he used those sweet friends to teach
me more than they probably realized.
Basking in the quietness of a tiny social
circle allows for more time with God, if you allow it. And opens your eyes to how the new person in
the group feels.
Praying that you would not give
up on God when you feel lonely but would press in to him instead. Praying that
you see the lessons being taught through this season and that the truth is
constantly ringing in your ears: you are not alone. Praying that you would see
God going before you and never leaving your side.
Praying that God would put someone on your heart to connect with, whether you feel your social circle is too full or not full enough. Praying that you would see the beauty in the quietness and that you would always remember how it feels to be new in town or at work or church or group.
Here's to loneliness and God's
ever present presence.