How Would You Like to Have Tea With Me?

Is there anyone out there that enjoys loneliness???

Being alone and being lonely are two different things, of course. You can feel lonely in a crowd, and you can be full of contentment and peace all by yourself. Some of us need to recharge our emotional and physical batteries by spending time alone. Those who are more outgoing might find they re-energize by being in a crowd. But all of us have had numerous occasions when we find ourselves lonely - wishing we had someone to connect with on a heart level and not being able to satisfy that need.

Loneliness. Does it ever serve a spiritual purpose? I believe many times it does. Has God ever stepped onto your front porch and rung your doorbell? Has He ever called you on your cell phone or texted you? Probably not. So how does He get your attention? We would love a letter dropped from Heaven right into our laps. Or how about an angelic telegram? Well, I think that loneliness can be God's calling card.

You're in your dorm room and everyone seems to have a date or your friends left for a movie and didn't include you. You find yourself alone and lonely. What to do? Look at your planner. Nothing is written there. Or is there? Perhaps God has written His name in (using invisible ink of course). Could it be that He has been waiting to spend some quiet time with you and you forgot to pencil His name in?

Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me.

Sounds an awful lot like an invite to me. The next time you sit down in the cafeteria and there's no one to talk to, or you're stuck in your dorm room all by yourself, talk to the Lord. He cares about every detail of your life. Tell Him everything that's bugging you. Share your heartaches and frustrations.

I Peter 5:7
...casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

Seems like a pretty good deal to me. He's the perfect friend. He's the perfect counselor. Try reading John 1 if your Bible is handy. Then ask Him to fill you with His love. Then ask, "Lord is there someone that needs encouragement or friendship? Make me a vessel of Your love and show me who to befriend right now." Then look around and see if you can give away some of God's love to someone else: share a smile or hold a door open, or buy a postcard and send an encouraging note. Ask God for creative ways to bless somebody else that might be lonely, too. Focus outward, not inward.