“So, iced tea for you?” the waitress asked. “What would your companion like?”
What companion? I sat in the restaurant without a wife, a girlfriend, or anyone. It was too hot to cook, so I thought I would treat myself to dinner out. Am I destined to be at a table by myself for the rest of my life? Was this dinner trip a big mistake? Maybe I should have gone to McDonald’s.
Being alone is difficult, especially when society seems to come in twos, threes, or fours. This story from Genesis does not help either, since it says it is not good for a person to be alone. But I am. McDonald’s, here I come.
But I wonder if there is another way to understand being alone. Yes, God created us for relationships, but He also made us to be social animals. Upon reflection, I realize I’ve been with people all day—at the gym, work, lunch, social media, and so on. So maybe I don’t need McDonald’s after all.
Feeling depressed and upset is easy when we feel alone—especially if we do so in a crowd. But when we do, thinking about whom we were with that day helps. We can also go to church, a club, or the gym. Not feeling ashamed or guilty when you are by yourself can be a gift. Being alone does not mean we are losers.
Yes, I was alone that evening, but that was okay. Iced tea to drink, ravioli, and a salad, please.
No, it is not good to be alone, but you are not. Enjoy those around you.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Andrew Hart grew up in Wayne, Pennsylvania. He attended college at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Feeling the call from God, he then attended Princeton Seminary. He has served churches in South Carolina, New York, and Pennsylvania. He has published several articles on PTSD, won awards from the Civil Air Patrol, and was a Guthrie Scholar at Columbia Seminary. He is a former chaplain for the Civil Air Patrol and currently serves the Chambersburg Hospital as a chaplain.