Loneliness

There are times when China, with its 1.3 billion people surrounding me, is the loneliest place I've ever been. I know I'm not alone - I have a loving Savior who knows me and loves me and is with me.  But sometimes, like most of last week, living here is lonely. I had kind of a scary encounter with a man asking for money outside of Starbucks last weekend, and it reminded me of how painful loneliness can be.  I was having an issue with this man, and clearly I'm not from here nor do I speak the language, and no one stopped to help me.  In busy shopping area, person after person walked by and no one did a thing to help me.  I know there are lots of cultural things I don't understand about this situation, but I still can't wrap my head around why no one would help me.  Talk about feeling alone.  After that incident, I struggled internally for several days trying to understand myself and my situation better.  And this is what I've decided:  Although my heart is often overwhelmed, I am experiencing such tremendous growth and seeing the Lord in new and exciting ways, and I wouldn't trade this season of my life for anything.

I've heard and read some really great thoughts on loneliness lately that have encouraged me, so I thought I would share.


"Loneliness is a feeling. Don't confuse that with your position before Christ which is real...which is deeper than any feeling that you and I can ever have." -Rob Turner, "The Kingdom and Singleness"


The rest of these come from Elisabeth Elliot's book Passion and Purity (some of which are excerpts from other books).

"This loneliness itself, which seems a weight, will be far outweighed by glory."

"Pray that you may be an instrument of God's peace, that where there is loneliness you may bring joy."

"Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living."

"He has brought me this far, and already my joy is unspeakable."