Being Brave When We Feel Alone

Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash

When you feel alone, and sad, please know that there
are people who love you and have the courage to reach out
to them for help!

I know people who feel alone, and who do not feel like people really know or understand them.  I have occasionally been that person.  Sometimes there has been the miraculous gift of someone showing up at the right time -- either on the phone, or in person, or even in text.  Other times I, or others, cry alone and wonder why we can't feel the love of God now, when we are sure He is there.  

These are hard times.  Living through them can make us more compassionate to others' pain, and hopefully help us learn to listen better.  But how can we get out of these ruts?  My counselor has talked about a "state change".  This would be going somewhere else, tasting something sour or spicy, doing an activity that keeps the mind away from the negative spiral.  But sometimes, the thing that works, is being brave and calling someone.

I have, admittedly, rarely done this myself!  It requires a scary amount of vulnerability.  We like people to see us as put together, strong, and happy, but I don't think anyone is always that way!  And so fairly recently I actually reached out when I was really sad --  twice!  I called my sister Tina and hopefully didn't alarm her too much by crying at her.  She listened, and talked through my worries with me, and assured me that I could call any time.  She helped me feel understood , loved and hopeful.  What a gift to me!

I believe that there are a LOT of people who would really be happy to hear our real stresses and worries, if only we could be brave enough to reach out.  I've found that if I can't call, sometimes texts help me too.  And if we are not feeling brave enough, I do know that Heavenly Father is never too tired to listen, and if we can calm ourselves enough, we may be able to feel a bit of His love surrounding us, and holding us close.