Isolation

‘We’re getting on one another’s nerves’, someone admitted to me last week. That sense of being shut in together or by yourself can really get to us all. Families where Mum and Dad are working from home and the children long to be entertained can be very difficult. One parent humorously described it as ‘like being stuck in a cell with unruly inmates!’ Loneliness, isolation and frustration are very real feelings, often reflected in the Bible, though transformed with hope.

The Psalmist writes:

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart,
   and bring me out of my distress.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
   and forgive all my sins.

O guard my life, and deliver me;
   I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
   for I wait for you. Psalm 25:16-21

When we have these difficult times and feelings we need to remind ourselves that we can reconnect. Connect with God through reflection, prayer and reading and reach out to connect with others though social media or writing.

One of my friends writes down her favourite Bible passages, poems and prayers on the back of the greetings cards that she has received and kept over the years to turn over and contemplate in times of difficulty.

Praying for others and handing over impossible situations to God are also important ways in which to share and let go of our troubles.

Phoning people and staying in touch can also be really helpful in allowing ourselves to see the greater horizons: sharing and caring. It can be tempting when we are down to wait and see who gets in contact with us but I think that it is vital when we reach this stage of thinking to reconnect, don’t wait! God is always there for us, there’s always someone who wants to chat and our difficult feelings can then be put safely into God’s hands.

Lord, at times we feel so alone,

crying out for attention, despairing inside: looking for some sort of acknowledgement,

some sign of hope,

somewhere and from someone.

Help us to remember that we can call upon you, as you are there, right at our side.

Help us to reconnect with others through staying in touch, as they may well be feeling the isolation too.