I Traveled Down a Lonely Road
“And no one seemed to care.” These lonesome words complete the lonesome title’s phrase in a well-loved song of my youth. I can remember singing it to myself on the swing set outside my grandparents’ tenant farm house as a young child. Though some may feel it more acutely than others, everyone I know has been on that lonely road. With no direction home. When you are walking alone, it sure seems like no one cares. That is the nature of loneliness.
The truth is we all have that inward solitary place in which are joys unexpressed and battles hard fought. From there come the “blues”- those occasional feelings of futility that we can’t quite put into words. Profound sadness dwells there with unfulfilled hopes and dreams. Even in the bustle of living with crowded schedules, we can find ourselves on lonely street. It can be refreshing to wander the back roads of memory but be forewarned.
It’s not good to spend too much time alone. Isolation can breed all sorts of problems with self-centeredness being but one. Feeling alone does not equate to being alone, but isolation compounds itself as we burrow farther inward. Our problems (real or perceived) can create a paralyzing fear within if we center thoughts on ourselves continually. Thus begins the unintentional absorption with self hindering movement and growth.
Satan is well-aware of the human condition and is watching for prey to separate from the pack. Such are easy targets for him. In times of loneliness and desperation, he’ll say, “You know- you’re right. You are alone in life and no one cares.” How many people have made devastating choices in personal depression we cannot know, but there’s a lurking danger for people who feel or find themselves literally alone. Proactive solitude is not crippling lostness.
My song, however, does not end in pain. Its point is that Jesus can identify with us in lonely times. He knew what it was to be hurt and misunderstood. He felt the sting of rejection- even by His own Father. Feeling for us, Christ encourages a close walk with Him as an antidote for feeling of futility and fear. “Lift your cross and follow close to Me,” the songwriter concluded. We are never really alone. Not if we are followers of Christ.
Sterl
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