Are You Lonesome Tonight?
The leaves are falling and some trees look bare, but not our magnolia tree.
She is producing some exotic pink fruit this time of year!
Being in a study on the Psalms, the theme of loneliness quite often crosses the page. Certainly when we read of David hiding from Saul in a cave we sense those emotions. Lawsy, Lawsy! The thought of loneliness shot my brain straight to the old Elvis song, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?"
Opening lyrics say:
"Are you lonesome tonight? Do you miss me tonight? Are you sorry we drifted apart?"
Do you go through seasons where you feel like you have drifted away from God?
I long, yes, faint with longing to be able to enter your courtyard and come near to the Living God. Psalm 84:2
Whether we were created to be introverts or extroverts, we have been created to be in relationship with God and with others.
Billy Graham said, "You see, man was made for God; and without God, he is lonely. But Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart, saying, 'I want to come in. Let me in.' He doesn't push His way through that door. We have to open it and invite Him in; when we do, He comes to live forever and we are never lonely again."
Loneliness is a huge problem today. It is the leading cause of suicide in students. One of our grandsons made the comment recently, "You could survive these days without ever leaving your home. All you need is your phone and you can order anything you need." Hmm...but you can't reach out and touch someone.
What has been created for convenience actually robs us from relationships, which God created us to enjoy and it's those relationships that give us a safe place to share the good news of Jesus with others and bring comfort.
My husband is in the car right now heading to the hospital to be with a church family whose mother had a stroke Sunday and then they learned Wednesday that the father has pancreatic cancer that has metastasized. They need more than a face time. They need someone to hug them and hold their hands and pray.
I've shared before that growing up we learned to interact with others in ways that today you can "Do it yourself". At the bank you approached the teller with your needs. At the gas station, you chatted with the attendant who asked you how many gallons you wanted, checked your oil, your tire pressure and washed your windshield.
The city where I grew up had two choices for shoe stores that specialized in children's shoes. That's where I got my ballet, tap, back to school, and white or black party shoes for spring and winter. Snow or ski boots, flip flops and tennis shoes where picked up elsewhere.
The owner of the store our family frequented welcomed you by name, measured your feet and then went to the stock room and brought out the shoes he thought were best options for you. In the process he asked you lots of open ended questions about your life drawing you into conversation. Most likely your parents instructed you to "Look them in the eye!" when replying to someone. (A valuable life lesson.) After your selection had been made, the store owner's wife wrote your selections on an index card that went into an alphabetized metal box, range up your purchase on her cash register and gave you a helium balloon!
Now you can go online and as many boxes of shoes as you'd like to try on show up at your door.
Ooo la la! Here's a flashback. Way back in garter belt days, if you needed a pair of nylons, you told the sales lady your size and she pulled options from a lovely box on the shelves behind a counter. The closest thing to that nowadays are some department stores where there are sales people behind the cosmetic and jewelry counters. I think recalling Elvis songs has taken me way back.
Let's be intentional to be in relationship with others in ways that we are seen as approachable and make others feel valued and not alone. Maybe someone you encounter todays needs to know God is always with them, they just have to knock.
The Song
"Never Alone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj0YqgSdjH0
