I find that the times when it is easiest for me to fall into the cesspool of hopelessness and despair is when I believe that I am all alone. I’m not saying there aren’t people and relationships in my life. But it’s when I feel that in all reality, I must face the circumstances that I face – alone. Today I experienced the power of ‘we’.
A difficult situation came up today. There are no clear-cut answers. It’s going to take time and effort to work through it. I’m going to have to face things I don’t really want to face. My boyfriend and I were discussing the situation, thinking of possible ways to address this issue, and he used the word ‘we’. And mentally, I stopped in my tracks…”‘We’? you said ‘We’? you mean I don’t have to tackle this all by myself? you mean I’m not alone?”
A person may wonder why I thought I was alone to deal with this situation. Well, technically this issue is not my boyfriend’s problem. I’m a widow with two boys and I’ve had to do a lot of things on my own – decision-making falls soully on my shoulders. I also grew up fiercely independent. So, if you consider all those factors, it may not seem so strange that I often feel alone.
But it is not God’s design for us to be or feel alone. There is a community of believers for a reason. There is a reason we should “not neglect our meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25). The truth is, we need each other. Sometimes our pride and independence get in the way of experiencing the beauty of being dependent on each other. In those interdependent relationships, we know we are not alone and our problems don’t seem so overwhelming.
I’ve been thinking about ‘we’ all evening. Even though this situation I am in is not going to be an easy one to face, I don’t feel the hopelessness and despair I have felt at other times. I know I am not facing it alone and that makes all the difference in the world. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).