Man Was Not Meant to be Alone

Man was not meant to be alone, a part of God’s plan that works on many unexpected levels.

If you subscribe to modern psychology that emphasizes the rights and demands of self, don’t read on. And if you believe in women’s lib and your responsibility to yourself as a woman before your responsibilities as a wife and mother, this blog will make your toe nails curl. Consider yourself warned.

Man was not meant to be alone, on any level or in any role. Egoism has got to be the devil’s ultimate triumph. Nothing good can ever come out of it, and nothing pushes you further away from God faster.

For those of us madly in love with our spouses, all of this makes sense. And I can literally see you nod as you think about your children and how badly you miss them when you are apart. But there are many more parts of you that should not be alone, not the least of which is your faith. Believers were not meant to be alone either, and I just experienced a longing for fellowship that took me completely by surprise.

The fact that I miss my husband and our children when I travel is nothing new. Nowadays even our dog makes the list of living creatures I don’t want to be without. But my church ladies? Our bible study group? Surely I can enjoy a week in Europe without adding all of them to my list of things I miss! Fact is: I can’t, nor should I be able to. Solitude for prayer or reflection is only good when it is by choice. Solitude for lack of interaction is nothing but lonely, and faith flourishes with fellowship. No wonder Paul darted from place to place trying to establish churches. Christianity is as far away from self-help as comfort is from cold (the shock of freezing half to death in my own home clearly left me traumatized, can you tell?).

And if you think that lack of fellowship pushed me closer to God, think again! Of course I stayed the course and went through the motions, so to speak. I did my bible studies, I wrote my blogs. I did not turn heathen the minute my feet touched German soil. But hymns are meant to be sung by a choir, and faith is meant to be lived in a church. How sad that in a country full of cathedrals dating back to the middle ages, the church is nowhere to be found. None of my family believe in God, none of my friends can relate to my faith. How can I explain to you the let-down and disappointment this causes?

Imagine you lost 40 pounds, imagine you dropped 4 dress sizes and you finally bought yourself a beautiful dress that looks incredible on you. Imagine the excitement you must feel… and now imagine what a blow it must be if not a living soul notices! Nobody says a word, nobody cares, nobody shares your joy. That is what a Christian feels when he is left alone for too long. God is love, and love has got be shared.

I am happily on my way back to the U.S. The minute I am done kissing my husband, kids – and dog – I will call my church ladies and have them come over for a cup of coffee and a prayer. That’s where I belong, thank God!

Dear Lord,

thank You for filling my every day with people who love You as much as I do. Let me be as important to them as they are to me, Lord. And help us all, friends and family alike, to come closer to you as we grow closer to each other.

Amen