Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Write Solace: God's Peace When We Are Alone

Hello #JustWrite!! We made it to the last blog of 2019. Let's rejoice and thank God for bringing us to the end. I wanted to close this year by offering some encouragement. This time of the year can bring on feelings of loneliness and sadness for many of us as we celebrate the holidays. Also, there is a lot of crime that happens even more during this time of the year. It is very important that we let someone know how we are doing and if we're able to, be a support to our brothers and sisters.  Many are hurting and suffering silently and seeking solace. It's important that we know that we are not alone. I know many are not believers in Jesus Christ and God but for those of us who do believe, we must trust in God's Word. What a blessing it is to have God's Word as our guide and hope. Whenever I find myself feeling discouraged or alone, I always think of Psalms 91:1-2 which says, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” There's nothing like God's peace when we are alone. We need moments in our life to remind us that God is and will always be with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us, Deuteronomy 31:6.




What is solace? Solace is comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness. What is alone? Alone is having no one else present. As a writer, some of my best moments of solace happened when I was alone. As a child, it didn't take much to make me a happy. If no one was around, I always managed to create my own joy. As I became older, I began to struggle with being alone. It was until I recognized years later the difference between being lonely (feeling sad and unhappy about being socially isolated) and alone. Alone is a physical state and loneliness is a mental state. I was processing a lot back then that brought on those feelings of loneliness. It was that understanding of those feelings that brought me to my present place of comfort knowing that I can trust God and cast my cares upon Him. For those who believe, God is our answer to everything, even in the little things we think are not important. God cares about us. In our moments of despair and heartache, we must cry out to God and draw upon His strength and love. This has been a rough year for me and maybe for those who are reading, but we should thank God for everything good, bad, and indifferent, Romans 8:28. Life brings us so much but it is a journey. This holiday season, let's all be reminded of the comfort and joy that we have knowing God is our peace and He has us write where He wants us. Fellow scribes, have a wonderful holiday and see you all in 2020!!



In His service,



Lequvia Ousley