Twinges of Loneliness

Have you ever felt a twinge of loneliness slip in at Christmas? I have, and not for lack of family or holiday spirit---both abound at my house.

Such moments sneak up unexpectedly, unbalancing expectations and causing me to wonder if my emotional health is declining. My husband is the one who suffers depression, not me---at least that is my reasoning.

Yet, I'm learning that part of experiencing the Holy includes visitations of loneliness, whether in the quiet of my study or hosting a holiday party. How can I long for God if I do not know the feel of lonely? How can Christmas have any depth unless I first experience aloneness?

Advent calls us to wait---wait for the One who has said he will never leave us or forsake us. What twinges of loneliness have marked your days this Advent season? How well are you waiting?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis