While we continue to navigate life in the middle of a pandemic, it’s important for us to distinguish between loneliness and despair or loss of hope. Because while one has a solution that is usually quick and simple, the other can be more dangerous.
Friends, loneliness and depression are becoming a pandemic of their own. It’s one we don’t hear about as often, but it’s there.
It started in late April. This feeling of loneliness overtook me, and I realized I hadn’t hugged anyone outside the walls of our home in over six weeks. The thing is, I’m not even a big hugger. I like affection, but most would describe me as an introvert. However, knowing I couldn’t be with those I loved filled me with a sense of forlornness I hadn’t known since we first moved to our town nine years ago.
Eventually, the governor lifted the stay-at-home order in our state and some businesses reopened. But a sense of uneasiness and tension lingered. Many of us navigated decisions about school, work and day-to-day activities that we’d never faced before. Some of us are still not allowed to gather as a church or worship with our communities.
While we spend more time on our screens and can’t see each other’s smiles behind masks, the loneliness remains. So how do we address it in the midst of circumstances unlike anything we’ve experienced? And how do we know the difference between feeling lonely and facing a deeper, more serious issue, like depression?
Continue reading at iBelieve.com….
An Invitation:
If you need further encouragement that God is for you, even in the midst of the struggle, uncertainty, and unknown future, I encourage you to pick of a copy of my book, Shift: Changing Our Focus to See the Presence of God. Many people have sent me messages saying it is a timely book for this season, which encourages my heart so much. I pray that God continues to use it to touch lives.
You can purchase a copy of Shift by clicking the image below.
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