Dealing With Loneliness at Christmas; click here to listen

As we see Jesus speaks of delegates more masculine journey as many sometimes losing hand. Life is more like a losing battle than something done, my quest now the messenger to have for me it is this Ms. EV review review review for the rest of world assessments and the rest the world. That means Christmas is six days away. Rob is all about the very welcome to the pre-Christmas addition of masculine journey.

I guess everything up till this was pre-Christmas, but the closest Christmas and so the topic today is one you might not expect. Really, I didn't expect yet yeah it's probably hard for this topic. Rubbing it is that is very difficult for me now why would this topic be a little hard for Robby to see so happy is always joyful, joyful noise like it is Christmas time. You know, we tend to see on TV in the Hallmark Channel and all those things. It everything seems to work out. Everything's perfect and it's it's just a celebration for everybody. But that's not everybody's experiences time a year as last time. His life is come their way. Some ago to cook pretty quickly and it's it's from a song. It's from an eagle song you listen to the words of the beginning of it as much a chorus, but just the lyrics come back and talk about that a little bit as you listen, you obviously have somebody here on this on pretty well, but this this is a little bit in Christmas is one of those times are we all get together and we share in when you don't have anybody to share with you you you feel broken, you feel empty and that's what I think is going, but for this person song anyway.

Someone is actually coming back, but there's a lot of people out there that that's not really an option. That particular song could be for somebody whose spouses away.

Her father, mother is away at war right you know are over keeping pieces and should be set.

I guess in, or maybe there there. Some are incarcerated writers things that happen that they're not your bill be around people now or maybe just job transfer all those things but then there's also people that moved on from this life this year and people going through the first year without that person.

I know we've all lost close people in our lives. At one point or another. But isn't there times during that time you think about the party hearts there with Robby is that the case for you all again as I as I mentioned, I struggle and I'm not. I got a hard because the Lord is seen for my both my parents are still alive and now. No spring chicken and while my brothers and sisters and and I haven't had that type of loss but I so it's hard for me to say while yeah I know way how you feel because it I really don't.

But I see it, you know I I I work with a lot of widows and and things long in my best friend to kill Lynn to be Lord last year and actually over Thanksgiving got a chance to be with his widow and see you know what she's going through and you know my wife lost her father when she was seven and you know Christmas brings that all too real in a home for her and so it's obvious that a lot of folks you know it's that's a hard place. It is my dad died in 1985 actually late 84 and his birthday was just this last week. You know he would've been 101s in here either way more than likely, but I still missing and it's been a lot of years and lost my father and all this past year just going through Thanksgiving with my mother-in-law in my life and my sister-in-law's and my kids and it was just very very tough. You know you are thankful for things but there's a party hearts it's not there but fortunately we had each other kindly non-but that's not everybody's story is well know no armor.

The first two Christmases. I left home as an adult first when I moved out to Oklahoma to work construction with some friends and they had money saved and I didn't so they got to go home for Christmas I stayed there and that back then you can get the grocery stores were actually closed on Thanksgiving day Christmas Day and so for Thanksgiving. All we had in the house was Crisco potatoes are for two days I had French fries that was all I had for Thanksgiving next year I got married three days after we got married. I was in the Navy I was inducted in the Navy so I spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's in boot camp so it's not just that I was away from the ones I loved.

I was a really hostile environment where there will point is to break you down before they build you up, so it was an all time low. I mean I just remember being standing out there and parade rest on the grinder in boot camp. They when they were finally in the elite, and I just didn't have an appetite. I was so lonely, so sad and so miserable because the previous year I was alone.

The next year. It was even lonelier was and so I remember thinking is this really what being an adult is all about. Is it is very difficult and if you younger that even if your teenager which our next clip kinda illustrates it.

It's hard to understand where is God in the midst of this, so this is a clip you think if you had set it up well. As we were talking about the blues. I thought the biggest part of this is the emptiness and where you with your family. But where you with God and in this clip of the coach. This is from when the game stands tall but the coaches going to see a player his mother's on her deathbed, and their ensuing conversation is about what's can happen after she dies is just conditionally estimate the lessons you taught me you use this time you'd like really good start. Speak to that a little bit about what's been happening here and really how they can help, but it may be going through some so often since my example when I was in boot camp or with this young man is facing that complete loneliness. I didn't have the belief in God in my despair hit all-time lows. When I was. It wasn't until my identity became Christ that I was restored to God that my joy really started to come back and as we go through this holiday season.

This Christmas holiday season. So often people are alone in one of the things that God wants us to do is to love one another is is we want to be loved and so it's important in this time year not to think about where you where the people you love are aware you're not think about how you can take care of the people around you because the greatest gift you give yourself is to do something for someone else and it's in that act of selflessness, but I think we find that reward in that loft because that's when you're truly appreciated. And that's feeling and emotion that we all desperately strive for it to be appreciated. I understand and I agree with you but it's hard. It's really hard.

I can imagine.

If you're not a Christian, how you deal with some the stuff that comes at you this last year.

Some of you know the story if you heard us talk about it but my father knows diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on June 1 and he died July 15 is at the early stages is an aggressive cancer, but he died six weeks later and I know you God and others guides in the midst of it.

It's a bigger plan but there's something that you feel cheated and they just move down here to be here known to spend time with her grandkids and in with us in you do get a little angry, you know little bit of that situation. It's hard not to go with this player did in this clip essay guide where were you when I needed you. Why weren't you here for me to come back and talk about that talk about where is God in the midst of that and how do you find a family if you don't have one around or how to find this people love you not on a football team lets you not alone to help you not be alone to listen the messenger and you will see in just 30 radio's list are supported very thankful for every dollar but I wanted to take a moment to share a really easy way to support use Amazon to purchase things you need to do smile.amazon.com Charity contribution site and from there select good heart ministries and Amazon will donate 5% of your purchase, donate or watch a video on how to do this radio that's messenger the radio large domain here for messenger and radio show are so often focuses on healing and freedom found her walking more intimately with father. I know no one wants to see a counselor, but often times I find myself stuck needing a little bit more help my friends and seasons of the heart catheters. Counselors help you find healing through the father.

For more information on seasons of the heart. That's messenger the radio.org welcome back. Now that was pretty good thinking really surprised when your boss that we do this would be mad if he was here because he be what the thing that so as we left were just talking about you now you what you're saying little bit about what you need to do is reiterate that a little bit as far as the briefer version.

What you need to do if you find yourself in that place in this is help me in times of loneliness, but if you find a place or opportunities to do something for someone else you feel appreciated and that is something we all strive for the difficult part is finding those opportunities or honestly wanting to enter into them. Well, that's true, we're lonely you want to stay alone and if you feel like you've been cheated or you don't have any place to turn you if you're not not knowing anything for you. I should do some effort something for somebody else and not saying we should feel that way the Bible is full of not feeling a bit. We struggle at times with that name. Robby, I'd like to go clip you have to help us.

I think understand how to move from that place more towards a pleasure talking about. Yeah, I can't help but think of a verse that God really brought in the my life this year and really got it in my heart where I really really enjoyed it all year long as I thought about it, it's Mark 10 in the round. The 31st where he talks about E who leaves his father, mother, sisters or brothers and for my sake and for the sake of the gospel will not fail to receive 100 times as many fathers, mother, sisters, brothers, lands all and by the way, persecutions in this present age and in the age to come, everlasting life, and the promise. There is in this present age but you have to leave your life so to speak, to do it in him in that in your identity and so the perfect example of this for me. I watch played out as I write. I was interviewing a lady who was in the musical believe recently on kingdom pursuits and she had lost her husband in the spring and she had gotten recruited to be in this and she sang acquired year before.

She didn't really want to do it.

But as she found herself enjoying the cast and the cast had a lot of children in it and some wonderful people, godly people. The next thing she knows she found a new community and she was now having children. She didn't have before.

She had brothers and sisters. She didn't and she was starting to see the reality of of Mark 1030 but there's 100 times as many waiting for you as you begin to go out that but at some point. At some level, the question is does each person really matter to God. Are you really his favorite and so I found this clip. It's about Santa Claus actually in the and and how panicked the world would be if Santa Claus didn't care about each and every child, and so that the pictures that Scott Phillips went away just number and some percent of the adjuster 11. Why did you ask Steve, I'm signed up for devised single country single child while yikes because we all know down in our hearts is not true that Jesus left nine to go after the one right and it's the one that's his favorite, and we know it's not that way. But Satan is down there blasting in your ear, you're the one he missed you wanted it got the raw deal. But it's fascinating to me that they can't even accept that Santa would leave out one, but you're talking about the God of of the universe when he not care about the one you got begin knowing there's there's a strategy and that because if the enemy can meet near kitchen and cook up a mess make you believe that you don't matter and he stopped you from giving and if he can stop you from giving your not to receive the glory you like to be able to come in your glory because you're hiding and we only come into our glory with somebody brings it out in this especially ourselves.

When we do something for someone else moves from there into this bitterness you get this Bitterroot pretty soon you're just as bitter person that no one wants to be around because you're gonna whatever he feeds going to grow right if you feed love loves going to ground if you feed the bitterness or that thou lie. It's going to grow in one of the skin and start consuming choice we have to make is what are we going to feed. I heard it out of one of violence.

Young ones recently. She said things never work out for me and I was like oh, don't you say that that's that's an agreement from the pit right there. Things never work out that, but how many times we have that feeling but it's just not true. It's it's things do work out. We know who we know how the outcome comes out and and so I feel that that there was this such a precious promise. There hundred times as many mothers, father, sisters, brothers and I lost my brother, Vic, and how he was a dear, dear friend in an absolutely amazing brother for many many years.

But you know what happened.

His sons I was. I knew his sons and we been friends all these years, but I did have a relationship with his sons that I now have and somehow or another they ended up with a father, it isn't unusual for his sons to call me and say Robby.

I'm struggling with this and I'll have my dad anymore and and I'm seeing that promise come out that you know I get to know the Lord blessed me to be there and say well I know your dad and this is kinda where he would've been on that you know nothing and part of that is you. You talk through that verse was the promise of more persecution and that's the part that we don't want to try to remember what I said but how does life quit coming to you Robby. I mean is that the next day.

I always there is always a hope that the next day will be easier sometimes just get hit again tonight and it's hard when the enemies right there chomping in your ear so you don't matter or it's never to work out for you is you know there's probably some element of truth to it.

You didn't matter to somebody so he tries to make that be that you didn't matter to God writer. This didn't work out for you this time so it never works out for you and swinging get you to buy and it is always as Nevers those types of things you're in the midst of an agreement in the midst of a place for the enemy is giving you food that you're feeding him back does make sense of these is talking in your ear and your feet, and that part inside you that just continues to grow and consume you and choke out the life that you really long for. If you get sucked into the drama.

This out of God's reward and having faith in Christ and him and that's why the truth is so critical to our survival.

In this battle that you know it's that that will set you free. It's that Jesus is the truth so believing a lie is exact opposite of faith. It it it it tears down the kingdom that it can't build up even if you believe that lie against yourself. If you don't head towards Jesus. You can never get to the father is. He is the way the truth and the life.

Recently I've had struggles it workwear lot of things come at me in the very dramatic and people get very dramatic in the passion about their points and am finding more and more that I don't have to pick a side because the side I pick the spiritual.

I need to stop and let live. The drama play out, but not by Intuit and then I don't lose that joy inside.

I don't lose that hope is every time I get sucked into the drama and I start taking a stand on something that's not that important and not the things at work are important, but no, the drama final final fall into the drama that I haven't lost that joy and that to me is critical in my relationship to God because the more joy I can hold onto the more I see him for who he really is. I don't I don't think there's any one of us out there that would say why wish to return to God instead of reacting to that situation is. Think about it turn to God reaction. My reaction was been much different. Instead I said the other guy right and it didn't work out so well and rarely does. Even if you're right you can be right and completely lose is not about being right or wrong.

A lot of times it's about how you love on one another in what you're doing to feed what society are you growing that Holy Spirit within your you trusting the Holy Spirit to lead you. Are you following the way the world and the other part of the equation. That is an absolute joy is to look out and think while who in my circle of friends or whatever may have lost a loved one. This year lost a son and a daughter. Oh how horrific or no a spouse or something. I whatever the situation may be, and and pray about.

How can I reach out to them so that that you know they feel something from God.

This this Christmas is not only someone's guide right now when we talk about that spouse could be when a military leave could be a divorce situation quickly. Lots of things that person finds himself alone and some don't limit yourself to just this one area. Just ask God to say to bring up in you people that you're wanting me to love in this season. Who do you want me to love God uniquely have for me if there is a lustful mother several years ago we had no very strong relationship oftentimes that oftentimes good, but there's a woman, Diane Brown is coming to my life and she's so many different things, but in a way she's a mother. She gives me a hug.

She gives me encouragement exactly what I need that time I go looking for because she's a greeter like Walmart should not agree to form which better.

So if you're out there and you're feeling like you know I'm really alone. You were sorry this is God's ears waiting is there waiting on wanting to take you more to that place life this year to help you find spider level and in return you receive his love to go to center and feed the wrong thing feed truths life and find Jesus in the midst of thanks for listening