Today I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo for Five-Minute Friday.
Join me!
The rules: Write for five minutes. No editing, revising, overthinking, or backtracking. Just write.
Today’s prompt: Lonely
It was one of those days.
The kind when she would pack her bag and trudge to school, not sure who might be there to greet her.
Say hello.
Notice her.
Something. Anything.
And, like so many other days just like it…the loneliness abounded.
And she built a wall around her heart, wondering if anyone would ever want to tear it down.
Sometimes, friends, I let myself think back to that time in my life when I was so lonely.
It was hard and is not a time I revisit often.
But, truth?
I think we all have those lonely moments.
I still do, sometimes.
The challenge for me now…and it really is a challenge sometimes…is to not let them be a bad thing.
Yes, this extrovert thrives SO. MUCH. when she is around her friends and those who love her.
But there can be so much beauty in the lonely, too…the kind of beauty that comes with allowing myself to be wrapped in my Father’s arms.
When I let Him take my loneliness and teach me to rest in Him and the fact that He is enough.
I often just look at all He’s done…all He’s given…the ways He has blessed me with So. Much. Community…and I smile.
Yes, there are lonely days.
But there are so many blessings, even then.
I love this picture of my amazing Bible study friends…truly a gift from God. They’ll never know how much they mean to me. 
Thank you for sharing your heart!
xoxo,
Sarah
You’re welcome, sweet friend…thank you for stopping by! Have a beautiful weekend!
Oh hon, yea, we all have those lonely days. Heck, I had one today when it seemed like no one was talking to me on twitter (though it’s probably better for my work day if they don’t ;)). But I digress. God certainly uses our lonely times to help us grow…
Love you, friend, and love your heart. So so so glad that God nudged me to email you all those weeks ago. 
Isn’t it funny how even something like Twitter can make us feel lonely? I think it’s just one of the things the enemy uses to make us think we have no one who cares…which is SO far from Truth. I’m so glad you emailed, too…your friendship is a blessing, and I’m so thankful for you! Happy weekend to you, sweet friend. Love ya!
So been there with you, Mel. Love this–it’s a beautiful flashback to what makes your story.
Thank you, friend…each piece IS a part of the story. Learning to embrace it but not dwell on it.
Blessings and happy Friday to you!
Very cool. I love going back in your memories with you. It’s true – we’ve all been there. But what joy we have in the company of others. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, friend…thanks for stopping by and being the blessing that you are. Happy weekend!
Dear Mel,
Good to “see” you 
you are so right…some of those lonely times can be a blessing in disguise when we grow in our relationship with God…and giving thanks with you, for friends
Good to see you here, too, my friend…thank you for stopping by! Wishing you a wonderful weekend…blessings!
Yep, even us extroverts get lonely sometimes! Thanks for sharing, Mel.
That always surprises people if I ever mention it…but, yep. Happy weekend to you, my extrovert-friend!
Blessings!
I can totally relate to this one. “But there can be so much beauty in the lonely, too…the kind of beauty that comes with allowing myself to be wrapped in my Father’s arms.” I want to find that beauty in my times of loneliness.
I have to admit that it’s a decision…because being lonely isn’t easy, but I’m always glad when I choose to let Him be enough. Because He is.
Thank you for your sweet words, friend…blessings and happy weekend to you! 
I try not to visit my old feelings of loneliness. But those old feelings confirm the friendships I have now are keeping me far from loneliness. My kids are all cuddled around me as I’m reading your post, pointing to your picture asking who you are. “My friend, Mel,” I tell them. They all are saying, “She is beautiful.” You are beautiful and I’m so glad to call you my friend!
That brought tears to my eyes….thank you for that. For so long, I felt so NOT beautiful…and He’s teaching me what inner beauty is. (Slowly…I’m not always the easiest student. ;)) Maybe it’s starting to shine a little…I hope so.
I’m blessed to call you my friend…and we need another #fmfhangout again soon. That was seriously one of my favorite moments all summer. 
Blessings and happy weekend to you and your sweet family!
I’m planning another hangout soon! It was an amazing time, my heart still has warm fuzzies from that day.
Yay! Can’t wait, friend!
It is so true that in our loneliness, if we seek out the One who truly gives us uncnditonal love, He meets our needs. Thank you as always for your precious words
You, friend, speak that so beautifully with your life and story. You bless me, and I’m so thankful our paths crossed.
Blessings and happy weekend…I hope it’s truly wonderful.
Dear Mel
Thanks for sharing your Bible study friends with us! May our Pappa bless all the times you spend together with His loving Presence.
Luv XX
Mia
Thank you, friend…they are a blessing from Him for sure. Love and hugs.
I think we all struggle with this… Often we feel so left out of everything that we forget to look at all He has given us…. So thankful for you friend.
Thankful for you, too, sweet friend! Wishing you a beautiful weekend!
A glance back at the person I once was, in my painful and lonely school years…I can see God right there with me. I see Him in those hallways and at that locker, at that corner during lunch…and I’m thankful He was with me. I wish I would have sought Him more in those years. I wish I would have known just how loved I was. But I can see it now and I can point to Him when I share my story with others…just like you have.
I think you pinpointed it for me. Yes, He was there…I think I just forgot to seek comfort from Him on those days when lunch was alone and words were mean and girls whispered. I’m so thankful for real love now…and knowing without a doubt that I. Am. Loved. And so are you.
Blessings, friend…thank you for sharing this with me.
I so get what you mean about being an extrovert that thrives so much being around friends, but how healthy it is to be alone with just our Father!! Lately I have been finding such energy in those quiet nights in even if there might be something I am missing out on. Thanks for this reminder and happy Friday to you, friend!!
Because I love people so much, sometimes I get it in my head that days spent alone are lonely…and that’s not necessarily true. (Just how my extrovert mind works! ;)) I’m definitely learning (and sometimes choosing) to enjoy those quiet minutes. Blessings, dear friend…I hope your weekend is fabulous!
Awe, this is a beautiful testimony to the power of community and how it fills us. And I have to agree, there is beauty in loneliness and that moment when you just feel it in your heart that it is just you and the Father. Lovely to have found your blog.
Thank you for visiting, friend! Blessings to you.
Oh yes..there’s beauty in the lonely days, too. Happy to be your FMF neighbor this week.
Thanks, friend/neighbor! 😉 Blessings…hope your weekend is wonderful!
yes,true.all of us got lonely sometimes.thanks for sharing your thoughts.
here is my Five Minute Friday
Thanks for stopping by, Michie! Blessings!
This is great and so full of beautiful truth. Have a lovely weekend!
Thank you, sweet friend! Hope your weekend is beautiful, too.
Funny how that past loneliness finds a way to creep into our todays. It is a struggle to push those thoughts back and I think the only way to do it is to focus on Him and the blessings He has given us. Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend !!!
Oh, agreed…pushing those thoughts back is something I have to do often. And when I do…like you said, there are just blessings everywhere. So much to be thankful for! Blessings, friend…hope you have a great weekend, too! Hugs!
Sweet barefoot pal ,
Thank you for dating do openly that our God redeems everything – even the lonely. I, too, and a natural extrovert, never met a stranger, people person. A true sanguine, for sure! But all my years sick alone on my couch taught me the TRUE meaning of how He will never leave or forsake us. And He faithfully showed up in my lonely. He met me there. And then, I wasn’t so lonely. Thanks again for sharing. Love, love.
Thank you for sharing this, friend…you have a beautiful perspective, and I’m so thankful for your reminder (again) that He shows up. We’re NOT alone when we have Him.
Blessings and hugs to you…I hope your weekend is wonderful!
I love the “realness” of your post today. I am so glad you have a loving community of women. Go, you extrovert! Have a blessed weekend, friend.
Thank you, friend! I am definitely blessed.
Enjoy your weekend…I hope it’s full of smiles! (((hugs)))
Glad to see you back in your “normal” spot at FMF, Mel! As I read your post, I couldn’t help but think of a gorgeous poem I read a few times today by Mary Oliver. Your words unpack her thoughts beautifully.
The Uses of Sorrow
(In my sleep I dreamed this poem)
Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.
–Mary Oliver
Mel, you get that the darkness even can be gift. Glad I stopped by!
This touched my heart today. I can relate to it can so can our 13 year old daughter. Thank you for sharing your heart. What a blessing to know others go through the same things. God’s got a plan in it all regardless if we understand the plan or not. That’s when our faith takes over and we trust His promise to never leave or forsake us.
Thanks so much again!