For those of us that are single/divorced/widowed we can attest that the holidays can sometimes be very hard. I have read many posts today from friends about not having their children with them today or missing when they were little and how exciting and fun holidays used to be. I am no stranger to those feelings myself. Today my children are with their mother and although I am so happy for her that she gets to spend time with them this week I can’t help but wish they were all here.
It’s easy to put ourselves in somewhat of a tizzy when days like this arrive. We start the cycle of doubting our self worth. “Maybe if I had acted differently or had forgiven others I wouldn’t be in this position” is a typical phrase that is used in describing why we might be alone. I have heard it thousands of times it seems. Others are more self degrading like, “Why am I not pretty enough or I have sinned a great sin. How can I find someone that will understand and love me regardless?” These are all very serious problems that many of us singles face. These self taunts are destroying or inner selves. They are taking away from who we really are and it makes us feel useless and we tend to let it dictate the rest of our lives. We say it a lot in the singles world but the phrase “The struggle is real” is a very true statement.
Today as I have been thinking about Easter and why we really celebrate it my mind wandered to the Atonement of Christ, not the resurrection of Christ. So many of us, including those who have made a lifelong career of studying and teaching the atonement, say it is one of the most misunderstood doctrines of religion and it is hard to comprehend. But with what knowledge I do have of the atonement I believe with all my heart that it covers those times when we are alone or feeling lonely. I do not believe that we are meant to feel this type of pain and suffering without a way for us to escape. Sometimes we just can’t do it alone.
During the last moments of the Crucifixion as Christ hung from the cross he experienced for himself the power of being alone. In that final hour the spirit of God withdrew Himself and the pain was so great that it caused Jesus Christ, the greatest of all, to scream in agony, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” It wasn’t long after that that He gave up the ghost. He died knowing He was all alone. He died to take away all of our burdens and loneliness was the last and great sorrow He felt.
I know how hard times can get. I have witnessed them myself and testify that the pain can be overwhelming to the point we find ourselves on bended knee praying for relief. It is my prayer that when those times do come, and they will come, to remember that this suffering you may feel is temporary. That this pain can and will be taken away from us by turning to Christ and the Atonement. When it gets too much to bare turn it over to Him. He may not take away our sorrows but I promise He will get you through it.
