The Bethlen Home Messenger, 1995 (1. szám)
1995-09-01 / 1. szám
Ttfxam Ú\t Jbsk aí t\\t ^frrmmstratar by Rev. Paul Kovács The following article was published in the Carteret Reformed of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Carteret. The author, Pearl Hatten, is a member of the congregation. We found this article to be very worthwhile. LONELINESS "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." Psalm 56:3 Loneliness can have a devastating effect on our lives. The loss of a loved one or break up of family can lead us into depression because of loneliness and grief. We all at sometime or another have to face the reality of being left alone. We seem to wallow in self pity as if we were the only ones to experience loneliness. God does not intend for us to remain in mourning forever. The great drama of life is not to succumb to defeat. We are never stuck where we are. We will come to realize after some very lonely and discouraging experiences that to be alone can teach us a great deal about ourselves. In my own life, when I am lonely, I take a ride through God's country, and I find that God has been working things together for good beyond anything I ever planned. I discovered the magnificence of his creation. He has given us the four seasons showing us the cycle of life. In the spring crocus and daffodils spring from their hiding places. The cycle of life is beginning again in all its splendor in which the landscape comes alive with lush green growth that sparkles in the sunlight, and wild flowers adorn the forest floor with color. Shrubs and young trees are transformed with new life and color. The lilies of the field come alive. To discover this will let you know that it is great to be alive! Most of us never seek the riches of our country side by ourselves. We too, can begin again. When you find yourself left all alone and after the sorrow and loneliness wears off, you can realize that there are many privileges of being alone. To think, to feel, to do just as you please. You can read all hours of the night, think over past events and plan for the next. We miss our loved ones after death, but shall always remember and cherish our relationship. It is the wise person who is prepared for it, and who doesn't waste precious time trying to live in the past. Many people, young and old, choose to live by themselves. It gives them the chance while you are alone that God will help you discover your true self. Books were written alone and must be read and considered alone. Pictures were painted alone. Everyone needs solitude in which to develop their individual personalities. We can manage our minds and bodies alone. Most of us are alone anyway, whether we like it or not. A person thinking or working is always alone. By being alone you can gain a new respect for others and you can sympathize with their confusions and anxieties. You can gain a new appreciation for friends, partly because of the absence from them. You can give to others from the gifts that you receive. Our solitude may bring us to the realization that we are really not alone and never will be. The Scriptures tell us how on several occasions Jesus went aside alone to pray. He knew the value of solitude. There is one who is walking constantly by our side. It is in those quiet moments that we can speak to God. When night falls you can go to your room alone and sense the presence of the One who will never forsake you. Those who have been living alone have found strength and comfort in the realization that God will stand by them and see them through any crisis. PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO LIVE ALONE I live alone, dear Lord, and I look to you. My unfailing source of comfort, love and strength, help me care for myself as best I can so that my body remains healthy, my mind alert and my outlook positive. Help me use my time, resources and energy well, reaching out to others as a source of joy to all I meet. Remind me to give as much as I ask to receive, to forgive as much as I ask to be forgiven and to do for myself as much as I ask others to do for me. Help me to see the good in my bad times and to double my blessings in the sharing of them, and may the world end each day just a little better because of my presence upon it. AMEN - GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I! Pearl Hatten
