Alone in a crowded room

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. —Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV) Alone in a Crowded Room by Lysa TerKeurst from Uninvited I wished the small room would open up and swallow me whole. Just envelop me into an abyss that would simultaneously hide me and remove me. It's painful to be in a crowded room and feel all alone. Everyone had someone. Their chatting and laughing lilted in a symphony of connection. I looked around, and there wasn't a soul I recognized. My brain demanded I just walk up and introduce myself to someone — anyone. But my heart sensed they were all knee-deep in conversations that would be super awkward for me to break into. Isn't it strange how you can literally rub shoulders with lots of people but feel utterly alone? Proximity and activity don't always equal connectivity. On the surface, connectivity seems to require that I connect with other people, and they connect back with me. Of course that gathering was an extreme example of being alone in a crowded room, but that feeling isn't sequestered to that one incident. I can get it when things grow cold and too quiet with a family member. And deep down inside of me, I want to ask for forgiveness, but my pride is holding all my kind words hostage. So the silent treatment continues. And though we're in the same house, we're nowhere near connecting. Or that feeling can happen when I'm with a group of women, and I can't quite seem to break into the conversation. I mentally beat myself up for not being more brilliant, or caught up on the world's current events and fashion trends. They all seem so effortlessly on top of everything. In each of these situations I'm with people. But I'm so very alone. And I secretly ponder how the events of that day clearly point out other people's issues: their self-focus, their past problems, their insensitivity. But the problem wasn't the people at the party. The problem wasn't my family or that group of women. It was me not being prepared in advance with a fullness that can only come from God. It was as if I walked into each of these situations suddenly feeling like I wouldn't be able to breathe unless someone else invited me in. The whole room was full of completely breathable air, but since I refused to take it in, I suffered. I can't expect any other person to be my soul oxygen. I can't live as if my next breath depends on whether or not they give me enough air for my lungs not to be screaming in pain. No, it's not wrong to need people. But some of our biggest disappointments in life are the result of expectations we have for others, which they can't ever possibly meet. That's when the desire to connect becomes an unrealistic need. Here's the secret shift I've learned we must make: Do I walk into situations prepared with the fullness of God in me, free to look for ways to bless others? Or ... Do I walk into situations empty and dependent on others to look for ways to bless me? People prepared with the fullness of God in them are not super-people with pixie dust sparkles of confidence. No, the fullness of God is tucked into the sacred places within them. The full taking in of God is their soul oxygen. It's not that they don't need people. They do. God created them for community. But the way they love is from a full place, not from an empty desperation. They live loved. And this is how I want to live, too. Being full of God's love settles, empowers and brings out the best of who we are. His love quiets us deep within, just like our key verse Zephaniah 3:17 reminds us. And when we live from the abundant place that we are loved, we won't find ourselves begging others for scraps of love. We'll be ready to walk into a room and share the love we already know is ours. Dear Lord, thank You so much for the way that You love me — with a love that can never be shaken, taken or tarnished. Help me look to You and You alone to fill and satisfy my heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen. Originally published at LysaTerKeurst.com, copyright Lysa TerKeurst, featuring Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely. Your Turn When was the last time you sat quietly and simply meditated on how much God loves you? Spend some time today letting Him quiet you with His love. Share this devotion with someone who needs it today. Have you been struggling with loneliness and rejection during this period of social distancing?  Perhaps you've felt purposely "left out" by friends or family? No matter the source of your feelings of rejection, Lysa TerKeurst wants to help you realize:  Even when you are overlooked by others....you are handpicked by God.  Save 50% off the New York Times bestseller Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Softcover, Regular: $18.99 Sale Price: $9.50 (50% off) + free U.S. shipping* on orders $30 or more SHOP NOW With biblical depth, gut-honest vulnerability, and refreshing wit, Lysa TerKeurst's Uninvited will help you: Learn how to heal from past rejections... How to better deal with current rejections, and... How to overcome the fear of unexpected rejections. You will stop feeling left out and start believing that "set apart" does not mean "set aside."   Uninvited reminds us we are destined for a love that can never be diminished, tarnished, shaken, or taken—a love that does not reject or uninvite. Save 50% off Uninvited  (now just $9.50) and get free shipping when you spend $30 or more. Learn More and Save 50% off What Our Readers Are Saying "Very Helpful for my life"  — Juanita S. Raw and honest— Cheryl D. Great book. We did it for book club. I have highly recommended it.— Donna B. MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK: The enemy wants us to feel rejected . . . left out, lonely, and less than. When we allow him to speak lies through our rejection, he pickpockets our purpose. Cripples our courage. Dismantles our dreams. And blinds us to the beauty of Christ's powerful love. In Uninvited, Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences of rejection— from the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over to the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father. She leans in to honestly examine the roots of rejection, as well as rejection's ability to poison relationships from the inside out, including our relationship with God. End the cycle of perceived rejection by refusing to turn a small incident into a full blown issue. LEARN MORE Save 50% off companion Bible study materials  Uninvited: A Six-Session Video Bible Study Regular: $41.99 Sale Price: $21.00 SHOP NOW Uninvited Study Guide Regular: $14.99 Sale Price: $7.50 Save 50% off... Uninvited DVD Study  Regular: $29.99 Sale Price: $15.00 Save 50% off... *Sale prices valid through 8/31/2020, excluding eBooks.  eBooks purchases are fulfilled by our partner, Glose.  Free U.S. shipping on orders $30 or more, excluding Alaska and Hawaii Devotionals Daily ~ our mission is to help you grow and share your faith. Did you receive this message from a friend? Sign up to start receiving Devotionals Daily. Copyright © 2020 HarperCollins Christian Publishing,  All Rights Reserved. 501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN  37214  USA Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy *Manage your eMail preferences or unsubscribe

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