You are Not Alone
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
***
When my youngest daughter came home from her first day of kindergarten, she told me that she’d spent part of recess sitting on the “Buddy Bench.”
A Buddy Bench is a brightly painted bench on the edge of a school’s playground, designed to help kids who don’t have playmates connect with other kids. Students are taught that anytime they see someone sitting in that particular spot, they should invite that child to play. I love this so much—and absolutely hated that my daughter had felt so lonely that she needed to sit there.
My daughter, on the other hand, was far from devastated. To her, this was a simple problem that had been quickly solved, nothing to agonize over or worry about. I’d imagined her sniffling and insecure in those moments she sat there alone, but in reality, she waited calmly and confidently.
See, she never doubted that the Buddy Bench would work. Though she was alone for a time, she could see her classmates playing from where she sat—and she trusted that they’d notice her and include her soon.
I thought about my sweet girl sitting on the Buddy Bench again recently. I was lamenting to my husband that I feel lonely, that I feel left out, that it seems like nobody understands me or my life. He was kind and sympathetic, but I continued to stew—until I remembered what I’d learned from my daughter.
When she walked to the Buddy Bench that day, not in defeat but with determination, she knew she was not truly alone and that even on the edge of the playground, the other kids could see her and would solve her problem soon. Similarly, when we trust that God is always with us, that He sees us, and that He will protect and provide for us, we can also wait with peace and purpose.
Finding yourself without a pal on the playground pales in comparison to the problems many of us face as adults. But the principle remains true today. Hard times will come, but God doesn’t leave us here to deal with challenges alone. Even when we feel alone, perhaps because nobody else could possibly understand our unique situation or because we really have been abandoned by the ones we thought were our true blue friends, we aren’t actually alone.
Though we can’t see Him, God is here with us every second of every day. He hasn’t abandoned us, and He does understand. In fact, He’s given us the Holy Spirit and invited us into conversation and relationship through prayer. It’s like He’s given us a Buddy Bench (prayer) and a buddy (the Holy Spirit).
Maybe I’m stretching this metaphor a little too far. But that doesn’t change the fact that you are not alone. No matter how isolating your circumstances or how specific your pain may be, God sees you. He is with the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), and He will never leave you alone (Deuteronomy 31:8). No matter what comes your way, you are not alone.
For more resources & inspiration on how to live your faith in Him, check out our Article & Devotional Library.
Leave a Comment