Originally published Tuesday, 09 July 2013.
Am I only a God who is close by, and not a God of the farthest reaches? Am I a God anyone can hide from? Do I not see what happens in secret? Am I not everywhere, filling heaven and earth? Jeremiah 23:23-24 (VOICE)
Hospitals can be lonely places.
Lots of empty corridors and quiet rooms, activity that you’re not part of, conversations that you’re not invited to join.
For the last few weeks while my husband underwent a stem cell transplant all these things were part of my world.
It’s easy to feel lonely when I’m driving from the hospital on my own.
Coming home to a cold, empty house, knowing that I’m leaving my husband alone at the hospital. He has nurses come in and out - very attentive nurses - but as I am sure you know having people present doesn’t mean you can’t be lonely.
Often when I’m driving to and from the hospital I’ll ask God to select a song for me to listen to.
For some reason I’ve always believed that if God is big enough to control the whole world he is small enough to choose the songs I need to hear.
So I prayed and asked God for a song and then I heard this straining from the cars speakers:
No one really knows what it is to be alone,
Since You've never left our side,
No, You've never left our side.
Omnipresence means that You're never far away;
You're always within reach,
Always within reach.*
Have you ever felt like God and everyone you know has deserted you? I have.
I turned the steering wheel and thought about the song God chose for me that day, about the fact that although I’ve felt alone he has always been there.
God’s never left your side, never been far away, and even in your most devastating loneliness he’s always within reach. (tweet this)
In Jeremiah 23 God asks, Am I only a God who is close by, and not a God of the farthest reaches? Am I a God anyone can hide from? Do I not see what happens in secret? Am I not everywhere, filling heaven and earth?
Which means God is there when I leave the hospital room, and he’s there when I get home, and he is there in your dark place, and in the moments when you cannot imagine that the sun could shine brighter.
No matter what type of lonely you feel today remember this:
God is always there - even when you feel lonely - you are never alone. (tweet this)
Prayer: Thank you God that I’ve never been alone, that you are never far away. When I feel lonely show me where you are. I can’t imagine a life where you are not always within reach.
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*Lyrics from Rend Collective Experiment: No one really knows. Copyright © 2009 Thankyou Music. You can watch the song on You-Tube here.
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