It was a crummy day by man standards. I woke up feeling sick, so I skipped my morning plans to sleep. Afternoon plans were to meet with Rick and the rest of the Balkans crew at the Belgrade Center bus stop.

My roommates were gone, but I asked our landlord which bus to take. That bus got close, but stopped short; maybe 10 minutes by bus, but also 30 min on foot as I didn’t know the next bus to take. I got off and started walking, only to find it was raining.

Not feeling great, and now walking in the rain, it was difficult to “walk in the spirit”. I got to the bus station very late and found that everyone had gone. I was, it would seem, alone.

I walked the city Center for hours, checking at the restaurants where I thought they might be, rechecking the bus stop, and finally going to Ivan’s house to borrow his telephone. Ivan lives 30 min from Center. I was cold, tired, sore, and hungry, feeling that I had been left alone. I was depressed.

But, the Good Spirit brought to mind Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose,” and I began to claim it. I put my iPod in one ear listening to songs God had given me for over here. Then I journaled a bit and at a time I had perhaps the most compelling reasons to feel alone, I wasn’t.

Sick? yes. Sore? yes. Tired? incredibly. Alone? no. And when I claimed that, I was at peace.

I went home and missed my bus stop and had to walk further than I needed, then stood outside in the rain waiting for a roommate to come to the gate. But the realization of never being alone… THAT was worth every lost laugh, missed hug, missed meal, and every raindrop on my head.

Response:

–Have you found yourself, like John, in a new circumstance where you felt lost and alone?  Ask the Lord to show you where He was and how He was working during that time.  If you have trouble finding His presence be sure to review Seeing and Hearing the Lord.

–Come up with a list of five verses that talk about how much the Lord loves you and is with you even when the circumstances are difficult.  Memorize the shortest verse, and when you can say it from memory move on to the next.  When your circumstances become overwhelming confess these verses to help you know you are not alone.  Here are a couple of suggestions to start with:

Psalm 139:1-3

Hebrews 4:16

1 Thessalonians 5:24

John “Jovan” Lufi was raised in East TN and never wanted to leave home. After a complicated series of events, he heeded the call of God and joined the DPI Intership Program. He is now living in Belgrade, Serbia working to build the Kingdom of God and is constantly amazed at God’s Love and redemptive Grace.

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