Posts
Out of Focus
The Stone Church foyer was packed for the men’s breakfast this morning. Tables were set up everywhere, games were played, and the room was filled with loud talk about jobs, stress, and families. The turnout was great, and the food was excellent—plates were piled high with bacon, sausage, and pancakes.
But for me, the morning felt entirely different.
Because I didn't have my glasses, the crowded room was just a blur. I couldn't see faces. I had to rely entirely on voices just to figure out who was who. Sitting at a table where everyone was talking across and around me, it felt incredibly isolating. People were wrapped up in their own conversations, and aside from three of the pastors saying hello, hardly a word was spoken to me.
It is a heavy feeling to be in a room full of people at your own church and realize you don’t feel like you fit in or belong anywher
Psalm 142:4
"Look to the right and see; there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul."
This is David crying out from a cave. It perfectly captures the raw feeling of being completely invisible to the people right next to you.
Psalm 25:16
"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted."
A direct, honest prayer acknowledging that loneliness isn't a lack of faith; it is a real human affliction that even the most faithful experience.
1 Kings 19:10
"He said, 'I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant... and I, even I only, am left...'"
Elijah felt entirely alone while doing ministry among God's people. He was surrounded by the nation of Israel, yet felt like the last man standing.
Hebrews 13:5
"...for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"
When human community fails to see you, this is the foundational promise that God's presence remains constant, independent of how the room treats you.e.
