Ever feel alone? Well, not to sound silly, but you are not alone in that feeling. There are even times when I feel alone, even when I’m surrounded by people. As a single woman without children, loneliness can hit me when I pull into my garage after a long day. Having no one to talk to about the day can feel lonely at times. It can be a heavy feeling.

Then I turn the doorknob to step into my house, and suddenly, paws are jumping on my legs, happy tails are slapping me, barks and howls are welcoming me home! I am instantly reminded I am not alone, and I have my dogs to talk to (yes, I am that dog mom who has to talk to her pups) and, more importantly, someone to love and be loved by. My dogs comfort me in a way that people cannot. They instinctively know what I need and recognize my feelings without us having to communicate with words. When I’m having a bad day or am tired, they know to come cuddle with me more. I have literally had them try to lick my sad or frustrated tears off my face. If I’m happy or excited, they are ready to celebrate and play with me too. My dogs are the best listeners, too. When I talk about any and all things, their ears perk up, heads cock, and they move from side to side as they listen to it all. Yes, because they are a beagle and a GSP (German Short Haired Pointer), they have some things to say back at times 😄No matter what kind of day or feelings I have, I know my dogs are with me.

While I love my dogs dearly, I know I need and have someone else who is with me always, too, God. As the Christmas season draws near, the word “Immanuel” is often used and tossed around in song, but I have felt a pull to go deeper into its meaning lately. From the Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, we are told Immanuel means ‘God is with us.’ Wow, that always amazes me! God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and literally has a whole world to run, but He makes sure He is with me. Take note that this promise carries no stipulations; it doesn’t say God is with me only when He has time, when I call on Him, in difficult seasons, or in joyful moments. No, it plainly states ‘God is with us’ meaning ALWAYS! Think of a person in your life you can count on. For me, that is my mom. Now think of all the times they have been there for you. Think of a time they were not there for you. Now, the time they were not there for you could be for many reasons, from understandable reasons to selfish reasons. That wonderful person you thought of is only human. They cannot be there for you always, no matter how hard they try; they are limited. Our God is not limited; all those times you just thought of when your person was not there for you, guess who was? Yup, God was there even if you did not know or feel Him. 

God did not stop in the Old Testament simply telling us that He is with us, in the New Testament, God shows us too. In Matthew 1:23, God sent an angel to tell Joseph, “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Joseph was definitely feeling alone in this moment. Joseph had just found out that his fiancée was with child, even though they had not yet had sexual relations. Joseph was ready to make his own decision to break off the engagement, to be fully alone. That’s when God sent His angel to let Joseph know he was not alone. As most of us know, God went even further than just the words from the angel; God sent His only Son down to earth to not only be with us but to be our Savior and free us from our sins. 

When I feel alone, I do have my dogs, but here’s the thing I didn’t mention earlier: we talk to God together all the time. God is always there listening intently, taking note of my joys and pains, and making plans for my life that I cannot even fathom. While I love my dogs, I am madly in love with God! If you don’t know yet, God is madly in love with you, too, and is waiting for you to truly understand that He is with you, Immanuel. 

God, I am in awe that you are a God who is with all of us through it all. I pray that anyone reading this will turn to you in any loneliness they experience, as that can happen during Christmas time, whether due to the loss of a loved one, not being around family during celebrations, being single or childless, or those times when we are physically surrounded by people but still feel lost. We love you, God. Amen.

See ya in the next post, with

✝️Lots of Faith & Lil’ Bit of Fur 🐾