Once when I was young, I accompanied my parents to the supermarket. As we walked down the aisles, I immediately became captivated by the rows of candy. A few minutes later, I finally looked up only to discover that my parents had disappeared. After my initial shock of being lost, a more daunting realization washed over me: I was completely alone because I no longer had my parents to rely on.

Loneliness is a universal experience. While loneliness can be the state of physical isolation, it can also be much more. More often than not, loneliness is an isolation of the heart, a deep-seated feeling of emptiness and having no one to care for us.

Let us think and reflect: why do we experience loneliness? To me, loneliness is our heart’s cry for God, a heart that longs for His presence. It encourages us to honestly evaluate our relationship with God. Are we close to Him or further than we think?

Whenever I neglect cultivating my relationship with God, loneliness begins to settle in my heart. But it is in these moments that I am able to recognize my deep need for God, just as David remembered God in his distress:

“But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.” (Ps 40:17)

After realizing that I was alone in the supermarket, I immediately forsook my interest in the candy and frantically searched for my parents until I found them. In the same way, loneliness compels us to put aside the distractions that keep us from grasping onto God and to seek Him diligently. We must pursue God steadfastly and not cease until we find Him.

Nevertheless, loneliness is a struggle. On one hand, the voice of the devil tells us to find solace in the world. On the other hand, we may need to go through quiet hours of solitude in order to clearly hear the loving whispers of God calling us to return. Though it is not easy to overcome, loneliness is an opportunity to fill our empty hearts with God – for He alone can fill us with peace, love, and comfort. 

Reflection Questions

1.      In our current relationship with God, how close are we to Him?

2.      In what ways can we seek and grasp onto God in our daily lives?