Never Alone

I have happy memories of the summer my daughter and I decided to ‘mother’ some ducks.
Vic brought home four duck eggs from the hatchery and we set up an incubation spot, remembering to turn the eggs regularly.
In due time they hatched and the wet straggly baby ducks emerged and struggled to their feet.
The first thing a baby duck sees move, becomes its mother so Romay and I were ‘it’.
What fun we had raising those ducks!!
They needed us to be 24/7 in their line of vision. If we were - then their constant quacking became soft and cooing.
But if we disappeared from view their quacking became persistent shrieks until we reappeared.
Their worst fear was to be ‘alone’.

That summer those ducks taught me about my about my spiritual relationship with God.

To the ducks I was a totally foreign creature. I was not like them at all. I didn’t even quack like a duck and yet their faith in me was complete. They trusted me so much that as long as they could see me, nothing was wrong with their world. And how closely they stuck to each other, lovingly interacting.

God must yearn for his children to be like those little ducks. That we would coo in contentment as long as we were aware of His presence. The minute we recognized that we had wandered too far away or we felt alone, we would shriek until we were once again safely within the boundaries of His love. And that we would love one another!!

Fear of being alone. The fear is a gift, is it not ? To motivate us to stay close to God and in fellowship one with another.

God did not intend man to be alone. He placed him in families, in relationships, dependant on each other for survival !

I read a verse yesterday that got me thinking about being alone.

The verse is found in Prov. 18:1 and it says, “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeks and intermeddles with all wisdom.”

The verse caught my attention because its meaning wasn’t immediately clear!
My usual bible is the NKJV but I love the old KJV because of the poetic twist that often conveys a deeper meaning, when I dig a little , than some of the simplified bible translations.

My verse in Prov. 18:1 is such a verse… It starts of with, “through desire”.
Obviously, this is not a ‘good’ desire…but rather the lust kind that comes from self-centeredness and selfishness and pride.
By elevating himself and his lofty view of himself, the man is separated.
Separated from what??
Obviously from other people - he withdraws into solitude, aloneness.

The result?? He ‘intermeddles’ with all wisdom.

I love the word ‘intermeddles’.
I was surprised to find that the word is still in the Mariam/Webster dictionary.
The meaning given is “to meddle impertinently and officiously and usually so as to interfere”. So, in simpler vernacular – intermeddle means to be so proud in one own conceited opinions as to insolently interfere with true wisdom, twisting it to suit his own purposes.

Amazing - that happens when we withdraw from people ????

I was quite intrigued to find that the Wikapedia online encyclopedia agreed with the sentiment expressed in this verse.
I quote.....
“A loner is a label for a person who shuns or is isolated from human interaction……
Some individuals refuse to interact with others because of perceived or actual superiority in terms of ethics or intellect. They wish to only relate to individuals they consider worthy of their time and attention.”

I think about how often a mass murderer or child molester or rapist or serial killer is after-the-fact described as being a ‘loner’.

No man is an island. First of all we need to summit to the wisdom of God recognizing and accepting His word as truth. Then we need to listen to one another to keep us humble and on the right path.
“But exhort one another daily….” (Heb. 3:13) and “submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God, “ (Eph. 5:21)

We are all part of one body…. The analogy Jesus uses is clear….Just as every part of the body is necessary…so also every member of the body is necessary…and all parts are equally important and useful. If one part withdraws itself, thinking it can exist on its own…..it will very quickly rot and die!!

The past few weeks have been difficult and painful for me, but how thankful I have been not to be ‘alone’. Anything is bearable when you are surrounded by people who love you and care about you.
It is amazing how little a thing can make my day…. An e-mail, a phone call, someone sharing their good news, a hug.
My husband did something yesterday that really expressed his love for me.
I have to rest a lot and I spent a lot of time on the couch. I had been upstairs and when I slowly made my way back down to lie down, I saw that he had carefully draped my favorite afghan over the back of the sofa so that when I managed to lay down and get my legs up, all I had to do was pull it down over me. (I find I am cold most of the time so it is warmly comforting to have my afghan.)
It was a little thing but meant a lot because, having observed me struggling to cover myself with the afghan he cared enough to have the forethought of making it easier for me.
It was better than a bouquet of flowers!!!

I am not alone. I am thankful.

Isn’t it beautiful to know we belong to God’s family? And that we have a Father who never slumbers nor sleeps but is ever watchful over us to shower us with His blessings? And so often He uses His children as His couriers!!

Did you know we all share a family name???? “For …I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” (Eph.3:14,15)

Why don’t you ask God to bring one of His children across your path today who is feeling lonely, and reach out to them….maybe a smile, a word, a hug, a flower…..It will make their day!!!