I’m Lonely-The Struggle of One

No, I will not abandon you as orphans – I will come to you. John 14:18

I was sitting in a crowded sanctuary surrounded by people and had this thought, “I could never come here again…I could disappear…die…or just never come, and no one would even know I was missing.” You might have had a thought something like this, “Not one of these people really knows me. ME. The real me.” Have you ever felt like an orphan in the middle of a crowded room? The issue of loneliness and the struggle through it is absolutely one of the most challenging issues that a ministry wife faces.

Several reasons attribute to the loneliness that we feel. They include:(this list is not complete)

• Moving to an area far away from all family support
• Financial restraints that do not allow the freedom of meeting for lunch or entertaining in your home.
• Working outside of the home to support the family while the pastor-husband carries on the ministry
• Raising children alone and being in a congregation with few or no women in the same stage of life
• Living in an area of the country or world where like-minded women are few and far between

So what’s a woman to do?
First, turn to the WORD and then prayer!

 

Deuteronomy 31:6 reads…

6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord, your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

   > Recognize you are not alone. God has gone before you. He will not abandon you or forsake you.   Begin to ask God for direction and for Him to bring you a like-minded friend in your local               area. We can survive with one really good girlfriend.

   > Look your budget over and just plan that one day you will have coffee with someone. Invite your   small group in your home for a potluck. Everyone brings a dish. Develop a small group of                 people. Look beyond your walls of comfort. Go to lunch or take a break with a co-worker. Establish   play dates with other women outside of your church – you never know – since God has                 been there before you – you might get to lead the family to Jesus! Go ahead!

   > Build, seek out, and develop an inner circle of close confidants of like-minded women via some   type of social App. Pull your chair up to the computer and have a cup of coffee through the               laptop with a girlfriend. (Facetime, Zoom, – whatever App you use) Put your phone on speaker,   attach it to you, then dust and clean while you have a good chat. Join a forum that’s safe like           us at contagiousjoy4him.com or join a group on Facebook and make friends.

It is a struggle! It’s going to be a struggle! It probably always will be a struggle, but you and I can push through it and live. Live the life that God meant for us to live in this fishbowl. What a privilege. What an honor. So finally, if you’re lonely – don’t believe the lies.

Don’t keep it secret.

Face it.

Admit it.

Bring it out into the light and let God direct. It’s when you and I give into the lie of our great foe that we lose perspective and sink deeper into the feeling of loneliness.

How do you combat loneliness? We need to hear what you do. Post in the forum, a safe, private page or post a comment in the public devotional page. Iron sharpens iron.

Praying for you.
Diane

 

Diane Nix, Founder/Director of Contagious Joy4him.com, a Minister’s Wife, Author, Teacher, &   is a popular speaker and women’s  Bible study teacher. She is the “spiritual Mom” for two grown daughters (35 & 38) and the biological mom to TWO daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grands.  Diane shares her journey of lessons learned while being a Pastor’s wife for 21 years. She and her family experienced the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina where – after living in New Orleans for only three weeks – they lost every daily living thing. She also shares experiences of surviving a difficult battle with meningitis. Diane’s life has been a journey of “never giving up” amid trials! The last 14 years she has enjoyed being a professor’s wife, traveling, teaching the Word of God, and being a mom. She is married to Dr. Preston L. Nix, Director of the Landrum Leavell School of Evangelism and Church health and Professor of Evangelism and Preaching at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  This August she and Preston will celebrate 36 years of marriage!