for busy women
Lonely? But Never Alone!
“God setteth the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6).
od made us social creatures who need one another. Even in the
Garden of Eden, God declared, “It is not good that the man should
be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18). Even
though not alone, many people today admit they are lonely.
Loneliness is a subjective feeling. If we think we are lonely, we
are. We might describe it as the difference in the level of social interaction
we desire to the degree we actually have. Each of us has different needs and
expectations.
Studies estimate that 20 percent of our society feels lonely, and 12 percent
believe they have no one with whom they can spend their free time or discuss
important matters. John Woodward, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and a
leading researcher on loneliness says, “Loneliness touches everyone’s life to
some degree.” He defines it as “a feeling of isolation and separation from others.” It can be occasional, chronic, mild, or severe.
Numerous things contribute to these feelings. Our very mobile society is
one reason. Many people no longer live near family and childhood friends.
It can also be a response
to grief when we’ve lost a
“ ray that your
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loved one. Divorce, broken
loneliness may spur you
friendships, a lack of close
relationships, limitations