When You Go Through Deep Waters
Dear struggling girl,
Growing up, I hated sleeping alone. I always begged one of my siblings to sleep in my room. Being “alone” frightened me. I’m thankful for the friends and family that I have, but there were a couple times in my life I can recall, that no matter who was surrounding me……I just felt alone.
Throughout my four summers working at camp, I have met several young ladies who were seeking for a way out of loneliness. My heart is so broken for the burdens that some of these young girls are carrying. Burdens of loneliness and not understanding why the Lord isn’t listening to their cries. Ever been there? Jesus was there too. Don't forget He too cried out to the Father asking why He had been forsaken.
Have you been or are you currently going through a situation where you feel completely, totally alone? So did Hagar. Hagar was mistreated by Sarah. She felt alone. She begged for the Lord to see her. In the middle of a wilderness during Hagar’s despair, she heard a voice from the Lord crying out to her. After this encounter with the Lord, Genesis 16:13 says, “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me.” This is the first time in Scripture we see mention of El Roi: The God who sees. Do we hear audible voices from the Lord now and can we physically see Him? No, not really. But for Him to speak to us through His word and prayer, we have to be able to recognize His voice. That means we need a relationship with Him. Do you know Him well enough to know that He’s trying to get a hold of your heart when you're lonely?
Maybe you feel like Hagar. You have been mistreated. You are in a situation that just isn’t fair. You wonder why the Lord has placed you here. Maybe you feel abandoned by the Lord right now. Your circumstances and situations are not blind to the Lord. Don’t give up. Don’t let despair win. El Roi doesn’t just see you, He hears you, and He cares. His timing is perfect. He holds the tears you have yet to cry. When you feel like no one else cares, He does. You are never alone (John 16:32), no matter what battle you are facing. I encourage you to open up your Bibles and your journals and read the truth of Hagar’s story. If that’s not enough, read about Ruth, Naomi, Mary, Esther, or Job. The Scriptures are full of people who could have given up when hope seemed lost, but El Roi faithfully showed up. The cure to a lonely, broken heart is Jesus himself. When those moments begin to creep their way into your heart, you need to remember Who knows every ounce of your being better than you do. And you need to run to Him.
Maybe you’re not going through a season of loneliness right now. If that’s the case, then who are you mentoring and loving on who IS? When is the last time you have been burdened for a heartbreak other than your own? When is the last time your prayers have been focused on a sister in Christ in the midst of a battle? When have you last wrapped a precious child in your arms who doesn’t understand why she’s in the middle of a broken family? Hurt and pain are all around us. If we as Christians aren’t searching for lonely souls, someone or something else will. Loneliness is real, but so is El Roi. The God who sees may be waiting to use you as a vessel for His Kingdom.
