Page 195 – The Bottle House

“When a person has been badly hurt, one of the scariest things of all can happen, and that is feeling all alone. It doesn’t matter if you’ve caused the pain or if someone else has, feeling isolated is terrible.”

Stefan’s throat tightened. He pictured the evenings he and his wife spent together in their deck chairs, watching the waves roll over the sandy beach. Living in their home alone was almost unbearable now. And he’d made it even lonelier by blocking his sons from his life. Maybe he could relate to Elijah after all.

“What complicates this loneliness is when you feel God has brought on this helpless and often heart-wrenching feeling, either by his actions or his inactions. This is how Elijah felt. And God understood Elijah’s feelings. He didn’t judge or punish him for them. Instead, he arranged help for Elijah and reminded him he wasn’t alone.”

Was it possible that God didn’t judge him for his feelings and weaknesses? Was it possible that God was offering some help by sending him here to Bethany? A part of Stefan clung to these words of hope.

 “This morning, I know many of you have felt like giving up, and you feel alone. Adding to that burden, some of you feel like God has deserted you.”

Stefan felt ashamed because the chaplain’s words were true—he did feel like God had deserted him. In the years prior to Sophie’s death, a big part of his life had been spent in God’s word, reading it, teaching it to his boys, and making sure his family was committed to the principles found within its pages. Since her death, though, Stefan had rarely opened his Bible.

“The good news is, God didn’t abandon Elijah, and he won’t abandon you. Hebrews 13:5 says that God will never leave you nor forsake you. You can count on God keeping his promises. Hope and comfort are available to all.