I Am Not Alone

As a preacher I don't always know if the lessons I present are really making a difference or impacting people. Now, that is not to say that our church family is not extremely encouraging of me and the work I am doing because they certainly are. Everyone is great at reassuring me that they are listening and do appreciate the messages I give. However, I still sometimes wonder if the true meaning of what I have said is received and understood.

This past week I shared a lesson on grace that was rooted entirely in my own personal struggle with comprehending, appreciating and then living in God's grace. It was a very personal message and one I know many people appreciated but I wondered as I was delivering it if they were really getting it. That question was answered after worship when a man came and talked to me. With a very sincere look on his face he told me how he shared the very same struggle. As he talked, I could see in his eyes both the pain of his past doubts and also the relief that came with a new perspective. He thanked me for the reassurance that he was on the right path.

What he might not realize is how much it means to me to know someone else shares my same struggles. It is good to know I am not alone, and the truth is that none of us are. Whatever our doubts, struggles, mistakes, and successes, there is someone out there who has been there and done that. We all too often can become isolated thinking no one could possibly understand when in reality there are probably lots of people who do.

God did not intend this journey of life to be one we travel alone. For one, He is always there. It is a promise he has made. And second, he has given us a whole host of brothers and sisters in Christ who will love us and bear our burdens right along side of us if we will just open up and allow them to do so.

God Bless,

Daryl