It’s funny looking back now. I remember being a freshman at Moody and having my life figured out. My plan was to meet my future wife that year, and then be married by the end of my sophomore year. That was the plan. There is a pressure at most Christian colleges to get married, or at least meet your future spouse, before you graduate. For me, it just didn’t happen. Yippy...
When I left college, I assumed I would struggle. I remember talking to my friends and asking if I could call them every now and then. I assumed I’d be lonely. At the time I had no idea in 3 short months I’d be in Indiana. I figured no matter where I’d go it would be hard. Moving to a new area and not knowing anyone is challenging. Couple that with being leadership where you face pressures and have to bear other's cares and burdens and it can make things pretty difficult. To say I struggled and still struggle sometimes would be an understatement. However, it’s amazing how in our darkest times God comes through.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a big extrovert who loves people. However, in this time of life, God has been teaching me the art of silence and how to find peace in the stillness. Though I still don’t get it right all the time, God has taught me how to quiet my soul, come to Him honestly, and hear what He has to say.
In the same breath, God has helped me build a community. We were not made to do life alone. It is very easy in loneliness to separate ourselves from others. There are enough distractions in our world today to keep us mildly entertained. This keeps us from the very people who could help. Often, my generation (millennials), turns to social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram to find community. However, instead of finding it, we are left looking at the top, most exciting 5% of people’s lives, which spreads the lie that everyone’s life is figured out.
My brother gave me some great advice a while back: “You have to go out of your way to meet people to beat loneliness.” That’s what I’ve been trying to do. Not every interaction has been a home run. In fact, if you want to hear some funny stories about meeting people, just let me know. To beat loneliness, we must humble ourselves and admit we need others. We must admit we don’t have it all together and need help. We must turn to God and seek the peace that surpasses all understanding, asking Him to bring those people into our lives. Chances are, either you or someone you know around you, is struggling with loneliness. Let’s go out of our way to meet them and show God’s love.