The ship is sailing ... without me

Imagine being on a deserted island looking out toward the sea and in the distance there’s a large ship on its journey to a peaceful, joyful destination. That scene brings peace to a person until they realize they are left behind, alone, on the beach, and the pain they feel is almost unbearable. Have you ever felt that way?

So many people experience that pain of rejection whether it is from not ever being accepted from their parents; a spouse breaking the covenant of marriage; a child leaving to go out on their own toward a dark future; having terminal illness that gradually eats at every hour of their life – there are so many scenarios in one’s life that separate them from hope and joy. They ask God, “Where are you? Do you not know I’m hurting, I’m broken? I’m alone.” The ship is sailing without me.
HE KNOWS – He has felt the same pain, the same feelings of isolation and asked the same questions, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). In the Garden of Gethsemane he was in agony while praying (Luke 22:44) and he felt completely rejected by not only the disciples, but he felt that horrible void of being separated from His Father, God.

His impending knowledge of the foreseeable and predicted journey known as death was about to happen. He felt the loneliness, the rejection.

I understand the world of rejection with clarity more today than ever before and it helps to relate to those who suffer from it. It creates a deeper connection to those who experience this tormenting emotion. The one left behind in a covenant relationship, a child sitting alone on the playground, an “unpopular” student eating lunch by themselves at school, a young adult seeing all of his/her friends finding the right person to share life with (and they haven’t), the elderly feeling time go by and the fears of being alone at the end when no one comes to see them. This is reality.

Even though there’s the horrific pain of rejection which has many faces and places, there is good news!

Psalm 34 tells us that He will heal our broken hearts. Jesus very specifically addressed the underlying nature of a broken heart on several occasion; He felt rejected and experienced feelings of isolation.

Our hope for that ship to dock and take us aboard is to believe that God will heal our hearts, to believe that He has a purpose and a plan for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11), and to believe that we are not alone (Deuteronomy 31:6). He is and will be right there, sitting on the beach with us.
That is His promise and He keeps His promises!
 
VLM Staff - SLP