All Alone

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/01/in-this-together

To those of us who used to enjoy warm fellowship with others because of our work position, there could be a sense of loneliness when that fellowship disappeared because we are no longer in that position. It could happen because we moved departments or had taken another role or had moved on to another company or to a different industry. In the work context, we need to restart the process of getting to know new people at the new place and establish new bonds.

Paul had a similar if more dramatic experience. He was imprisoned and facing imminent death. At his first defence, everyone fled and deserted him. Now as he is facing imminent death, he longed for Timothy, his protégé, to come see him the soonest. Alexander, the metal worker did a lot of harm to him. When everyone deserted him, the Lord however was with him. The Lord stood with him and gave him strength. The fact that the Lord was with Paul is of course not surprising to the least since Paul practically demanded to be tried before Ceasar so he could proclaim the good news of Christ crucified and resurrected to Ceasar in Rome and he knew that he would most likely be sent to his death.

We are likely to be in a less extreme or precarious position than Paul and yet it is my trust and belief that if almost everyone has deserted us, the Lord will still be with us. He will nevertheless stand by our side in our moments of loneliness and desertion. Our past friends and colleagues no longer call us or interact with us like in the past. We may feel that we are all alone and deserted, yet we know God is always by our side. Make new friends, establish new bonds. Rebuild our network. We start afresh at our new place. Wherever that is. But know that in this journey, Christ is and will always be at our side, giving us strength and supporting us. Even as there may have been people who had meant or done us harm, God will deal with them in His own way and time. Don’t dwell too much into the past or our previous life. Instead look ahead and strive on forward to reach out to the goal Christ has set before us even as we look towards Him heavenward to finish our race and take hold of the prize that awaits us in Christ Jesus!