“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” // John 14:18
It was the first morning in my new apartment, which happened to be thousands of miles away from where I called home. The quiet was consuming, and my emotions were confusing.
I laid on my back on the floor of my unfurnished living room with my legs straight out in front of me and my arms outstretched to the side. Sighing deeply, I said aloud, “Jesus, I just want You to know that I’m not lonely, but I’m very aware that I am alone.”
And I was. After living with family, and then with friends, for most of my life, this move had been a huge leap of faith. I was away from everything that was familiar to me, including my church. After taking time to acknowledge and honor my feelings, I peeled myself from the floor, walked out the door, and went to Mass.
There’s always an awkwardness when going to a new church. Where do I park? Which door should I use? Where’s the tabernacle? Where should I sit? But this time, the awkwardness was exacerbated by the perception of parishioners staring at me as I made my way down the side aisle to find a seat. I was feeling uncomfortable and wanted to leave, but God’s house is my house too, so I kept walking until I found a place.
After Mass, I stayed a little longer and thought that I was the only one left, but as I was gathering my belongings, a sweet family, who was sitting behind me, stopped to introduce themselves. After chatting for a bit, the woman asked, “Can I share something with you?”
“Of course!” I said.
She responded, “I don’t know if this makes sense to you, and you are welcome to take it or leave it, but I feel like God wants you to know that you’re not alone.” She went on to share words that echoed my morning prayer perfectly! I thanked her and finally asked them their names.
“Mary and Joseph.”
Of course!
They invited me over for dinner that night, and I thanked God because I was neither lonely nor alone.
We believe that Jesus’ promise is sure. If you are feeling lonely or alone, continue to turn to Jesus and speak honestly about your feelings. Invite Him into friendship with you and ask for His presence in the form of a good person in close proximity.
Chika Anyanwu is a Catholic evangelist, speaker, and author of My Encounter: How I Met Jesus In Prayer. Her missionary zeal is inspired by a love of Christ and the Church, the lives of the saints, and a desire to see people live their worth. She was a contributing author to Maranatha: The Story of Our Savior. Find out more here.
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