God’s Sweet Company

Loneliness can creep in unexpectedly I think; as smoke wafting through the air and settling before a person can really know it’s there. Could it be that even in those moments, it is God who speaks and gently calls, “Come be with Me. I am here and I want to share this moment with you”? Why do I always feel that I need someone to be with, when spending part of my day wrapped in the love of Jesus is so amazingly wonderful? I don’t know. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Perhaps that is it. I will always wonder at our human weakness, hanging on to what is temporal in light of such a great salvation. How is it that we can experience the reality of being in the presence of a Holy God, know His friendship and the joy of being with Him and yet stay puddled up in the midst of ourselves, always wanting and never being satisfied? We have tasted the beauty of His presence, yet getting back to that place; entering into the Holy of Holies, stepping out of our own agenda, busyness, schedules, fleshly desires, etc. is difficult. When in fact, that is the place we want so much to be. I was hurled into pondering these things once more when recently that mysterious loneliness covered me. I saw a photograph of two of my grandsons on a summer evening peeking over their back fence while eating Popsicles and my heart ached for their company; for the company of someone… anyone. Just to not be alone on that summer evening. I see now that God was calling and I did not recognize His voice for wallowing in my own feelings of self-pity. Oh the disappointment when I realized what I had done! God, I missed out on Your best that evening, didn’t I? Forgive me. Yet even within that overwhelming tendency to focus only on myself, You lovingly came; You visited me through the beauty of Your own handiwork. Thank You for your faithfulness and Your loving-kindness.

“There's something about a summer evening when the sun is going down, the fireflies begin to sparkle and little boys peek over the fence to see what lies on their horizon... even if it is another fence and somebody else's driveway and backyard. I will have to say though, that a summer evening is much more delightful when you have someone to share it with. Mine are sometimes lonely after being with so much family and then the quietness of no conversation at all while a tired husband sleeps. However, the birds singing their goodnight songs, a soft breeze, and those tiny twinkling lights brushing through the air at dusk is somehow sweet comfort to this mama who no longer has little ones peeking over the fence.”

Lord, when I am alone please remind me to run to You so that I might enjoy the best company of all.