“Having friends means we never have to walk this weary planet alone. And the treasure of friendship is an inheritance God has provided for all of us. But many of us are living lives bereft of deep friendship. . . . One of the greatest gifts the church can give to the world is her […]
“Have you ever noticed that when you’re feeling alone, it’s much more intense at night? I think of Jesus, in the darkness of the olive grove, the only light from the moon, about to face the unthinkable.”- Sheila Walsh “They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, ‘Sit here while I go […]
“Let Him free us from ourselves in order that we may become the servants of others.”- Elisabeth Elliot, The Path of Loneliness “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater […]
“Turn your loneliness into solitude, and your solitude into prayer.”- Elisabeth Elliot, The Path of Loneliness “Language has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone, and the word solitude to express the glory of being alone.”- Paul Tillich In Chapter 7 (“The Treasures of Solitude”) of Transforming Loneliness, Ruth Graham talks […]
“It is possible both to accept and to endure loneliness without bitterness when there is a vision of the glory beyond.”- Elisabeth Elliot, The Path of Loneliness (2007) In Chapter 6 (“The Transformation of Loneliness”) of Transforming Loneliness, Ruth Graham talks about two types of transformation. Some occur as an act of God, without human […]
“Loneliness is about far more than ‘feeling sad’ over a lack of connection. God created us to be in intimate connection with Him and others, so loneliness is an attack on our bodies that threatens our very survival. . . . This emotional pain of loneliness is a God-given alarm system that something needs to […]
“We tend to balk at loneliness and solitude. But we shouldn’t. We need quiet and solitude for our own health. It is a time to settle and grow quiet within ourselves. How else can we hear the ‘still, small voice’ — the whisper of God?”- Ruth Graham “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he […]
“The joy set before Jesus Christ was to present us holy and blameless to His Father so that we might once again be in fellowship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. A grand reunion! The ultimate end of all loneliness.”- Ruth Graham “For the joy set before Him he […]
“How do we move from feeling lost in our loneliness to being where we long to be — more deeply connected to God and to others? We learn to watch for God to show up and intervene in our lives when we are lost in our loneliness.”- Ruth Graham (emphasis author’s) “[Hagar] gave this name […]
“The solution for loneliness is love. Specifically, the love of a good God who sees you, sympathizes with you and possess the power to do something about your loneliness.”- Annie Lent “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! Let your gently spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious […]
“[David] paints a desperately lonely picture. Pelicans need the water, not the wilderness. The wilderness is no place for them. David’s lonely pelican is desolate, dejected, defeated, despairing, distressed . . .” – Ruth Graham “I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I am like an owl out of the desert . . . […]
“Let’s begin by gathering our loneliness and shame and taking them home to our Father, who will overwhelm our shame with His perfect love and satisfy our deepest longings for belonging.”- Ruth Graham “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.”- Proverbs 14:13 (ESV) “God makes a home […]