Lonely People

On this Five Minute Friday (somewhere...it's early Saturday morning), I saw the writing prompt , "Friend" on Lisa Jo Baker's Five Minute Friday and took this this little piece I had written last November and spent my "five minutes" polishing it up a bit and thought I'd share it below:
http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/

Lonely People

I have decided that the loneliest people are people who want to be.

Yes.  That’s right. They have no friends, no one cares about them, thinks about them or ..... the list goes on and on....all because they choose to believe that for themselves.

A man who hath friends must shew himself friendly*.  Loneliness comes from one not reaching out....from hiding oneself.  Oh it’s easy to fall into the prideful trap of “no one cares about me”, “if I try, they will just say no” and the thoughts spiral and swirl and crush....

But this is not the truth and we were meant to live and walk and breathe the truth!  Hold onto it, breathe it, live it.  “Show yourself....”  Be seen.  Be there.  Speak, laugh, love, give, help, listen....BE the person you want to have as a friend.  Yes, you will give and give and give and some days you will feel like you never get back a tenth of what you have given, but give anyway.  

A friend sticketh closer than a brother*..who is He?

 Jesus.  

Yes, He truly is the friend that never leaves, never forsakes, is always patient, always listening, always there to help in time of need.  

Do not idolize friendship. I have done this for too many years.  Yes, the Hallmark cards, facebook posts, books and TV would have you believe differently...that there is a friend who sticks closer than Christ...but it’s simply not true. Friends will disappoint. Friends will sin against you (and not ask for forgiveness).  Friends will think of themselves and not you first. Friends will.... you fill in the blank. Because, friends are human.  And so are you. But you can choose to not be lonely. It’s your choice. Do you want to be the loneliest person?  For it really is your choice.  Show yourself....be there. Be human. Make mistakes and say you are sorry and if they accept it and trust you, Great! And, if not...keeping being, keep loving, keep showing yourself friendly.  He is there. Always faithful. All forgiving. He calls you Friend. And knowing and trusting this means you are never alone.


John 15:13–15, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."

*Proverbs 18:24

Five Minute Friday: Writer

It’s Friday somewhere, right?

Writer. (Ready, Set, Go)

A label.  An identity.  A hope.  A dream. Impossible.  Possible.  Already?  On my way...

What is a writer?  Is it someone who aspires to write a novel, get published?  A blogger, a journalist or just someone who must, write.  I have never considered myself a writer because I have not written short stories. I don’t write articles or even poems.  I don’t have dreams to write a novel, though I have my whole adult life thought that I would like to help people somehow by sharing my experiences and what God has taught me through a book of my own.  

I have always had to scribble something down. 

Sometimes on a document typing as fast as I can before I can hardly put my seat down.  Sometimes in a journal, a pretty one, a spiral bound cheapy one (I’ve found those are really the best) and on the nearest scrap of paper.  Why? Do I think someday I will organize all these scattered thoughts and get them together into something that will make a difference somehow? Or, is it because I simply must....write. Write to get it out. To see it. To understand. To hopefully share.  

I know I am a writer.  It just looks differently than the classic definition in my mind which I think has held me back from sharing so many years.  I am determined in 2014 to be a writer who shares. Who does not keep this to herself.  Who shows herself, little bit by little bit to the world who is already watching and not really seeing who this person is.

(Stop)