Hello HP. Thank you for being brave enough to share your struggles. I understand how you feel. For most of my teen years I felt the same way. Oh I was a "good church girl" and as I got older (17, 18, 19)I was the oldest in a small youth group ( average 6-8 kids, from about 12-14yrs old) there was always pressure to be "their role model" (because they look up to you) I was also only one in my age group that was a "regular". Sure once in a while someone my age might have popped in, but they weren't part of the little "family" I felt suffocated, I felt like I couldn't stand up and speak out when some of the older people were flat out wrong because "good girls don't disrespect their elders" I felt that even though I was always surrounded by people I was alone because even though everyone claimed they "knew" me, no one ever took the time to "KNOW" me. None of them knew of the molestation done to me (at a VERY YOUNG AGE) by a family member who was also attending and was a "good young man" None of them knew how much the bullies at school pierced my very being with their words and deeds after all "sticks and stones can break bones but words CAN NEVER HURT YOU" WORDS are a very POWERFUL tool. None of them knew how just a few years before my family started attending that church I had missed a week of school to be in a psych ward because of "depression" that lead to an attempted suicide! And let me tell you, there were NO answers in that week in that ward. Only when we had our "quiet alone time" and I could break out and dust off my Bible did I start to find answers and get "help". To this I agree:
Sometimes I wish the church would take loneliness as seriously as other things. It may not be as obvious but that should be all the more reason to take it seriously.
As I'm writing this one thing just came to mind, even though Jesus was surrounded by people, even though He had his disciples and followers He still KNEW loneliness. Despite the many people around Him, none of them ever knew what He was going through to get to the cross so that
YOU and I and every other person could be free from the bondage's Satan tries to inflict upon us.
I feel like my loneliness has contributed to my anger, feeling like I'm being ignored despite my efforts both by people and by God, and being resentful toward God for making me this way, if he did.
First of all, God
DID NOT make you like this. He made you in HIS image. He loves you, He wants the best for you! That melancholy personality you feel you have IS NOT WHO YOU ARE. Now it may be that God made you somebody who is more quiet and reserved, but that sad gloomy feeling isn't part of Gods plan for you. Loneliness, anger depression........ it all goes hand in hand. And it ALL comes from the same source..... Satan..... who is using this against you to try and keep you from ALL that God has for you! John 10:10 tells us that the thief (that's Satan) comes ONLY to STEAL KILL AND DESTROY but I have come that they may have LIFE and have it
ABUNDANTLY.
I know this feeling too:
Even as I write this I feel like I want to cry.
It's OKAY to cry. Sometimes we have to cry the pain out. And sometimes it feels silly doing so... but don't stop at the end of a cry. Go on to thanking the Lord for the many blessings He has bestowed upon you. It might feel silly, it might feel like your words are bouncing off the wall (THEY"RE NOT) you might not feel an immediate response or change.
In James 4 it tells us (italic parts are my interpretations):
Submit yourselves,(
follow God, do as He instructs) then, to God. Resist the devil, (
don't give into doom and gloom, don't focus on how miserable you feel at the moment) and he will flee from you.
(when we resist Satan and focus on God and what HE has done for us, Satan has to flea from us. The devil CAN"T STAND IT) Come near to God and he will come near to you.
( He's a gentleman. He's NOT going to barge in on you and demand you do this....... He's waiting for you to come to Him.)
It's too hard to pray for myself anymore. I pray for others but not myself. Praying for myself just makes me feel like I'll be ignored. But if any of you want to pray for me that's fine too.
A few verses for you to look up concerning prayer for yourself:
1 Peter 5:7
Philippians 4:6
Matthew 11:28
And I'll be praying for you!
One more verse for you: Matthew 28:20 (I use to hear "church people quote this as "low, even when you are as low as you can go" and sometimes I really hated hearing them joke like that. "lo" Websters dictionary meaning: used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event.)
Matt 28:20: "lo, I am with you always" (
lo: pay attention to this interesting AMAZING thing that He is saying: He is with YOU always).
HP I pray this this helps you in some way. If you want to reach me, just leave a message on my profile page and let me know. I'm leaving you with this song:
Blessings!