It was just after midnight, and I knew where my children were (if you’re old enough, you know what I’m talking about).
It was just after midnight, and I also knew where my wife was (thank heaven life isn’t a country song, right?).
It was just after midnight, and believe it or not, I pretty much knew where everybody I love was – and they were not here with me.
Just yesterday I drove from Georgia to South Carolina to pick up a cute little puppy (a chorkie -that’s a dog) that was a gift from our oldest daughter, Alicia. The little puppy was meant, among other things, to help alleviate the pain of the empty nest. But another reason was so that when my wife is out of town there’d be some sort of living being at home to welcome me when I came in the door (mice – and we don’t have any…anymore…don’t count).
You see, I hate being alone. I hate it that the people I love most in the world are not with me. Up until the end of July, the sound of “daddy” (or other versions of it) was a word I heard every day for the last 25 years. Not any more. And then, with everybody out of town last night, I had only 8 ounces of tea-cup cuteness to keep me company… and it wasn’t the same.
I was alone.
Praise the Lord for FaceTime! Can I get an “ amen!”?
But think with me for just a moment. When Jesus spoke words of comfort to a troubled Peter, what did He say to encourage him? Jesus told Peter that he would always have a place in His Father’s house, and most importantly, Jesus would be there with him!
The picture Jesus chose to describe heaven was an eternal home where one would never be alone.
So what is hell?
Hell is a place NOT prepared for us, but for Satan and his demons. It’s not a home; it’s a prison.
With hell there is no hope of Christ’s return or to be received into His welcome embrace. No, it is a place where one is sent, away from the presence of love, to be alone…forever.
No One to speak in our defense. No One to never leave us or forsake us. Only darkness, damnation, and desolation.
Sure, the fires of hell will torment, but how much worse when one is totally, mercilessly alone?
Even if there should be no flame, would not eternal, infinite loneliness qualify as hell?
Here on this earth I am never truly alone, for God is with me. I’m never alone.
But for those who don’t have Christ, no earthly loneliness could ever compare to a place where not even the Spirit of God convicts anymore.
Sure, I may be lonely right now, like I was a little before 1 a.m., but thank God I’m not alone as hell!
Jesus is here.
The Recovering Legalist 
you might want to look into attachment disorder and co-dependency. Both have anxiety attached as PTSD and other psychological hang ups. And some people get energy from being lone. Others get energy from being with people.
I am not sure if Hell is about loneliness. But I get your point, its not the summer holiday some might expect.
Actually, I just think I have first-time-long-time-away-from-my-girls-empty-nest syndrome. And, the simple fact that we’ve shared life together for so long, I hate that they’re missing this. It’s like they should be here – they’re the missing part. But alas, it’s only a father’s heart.
Yes, and don’t under estimate it. this sort of thing suggesting Men are thick and women are sugar and spice is a lie.
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I went through divorce and my X tried to butcher me in the courts. and the “why not rather be wronged” made it difficult, I tried the whole time to be fair but was treated like I was the Taliban.
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Wow did I lose everything, money and kids but didn’t give up, but it took the life right out of me. Hollowed me right out and gave me PTSD. And when the pressure is on, Wow the Anxiety goes through the roof.
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Anyways, My Son was born 3 months premature because My X was Angry and abusive and in a fit of rage over nothing basically brought on the birth which over the next two days happened. Huge story and we had another kid 5 years later. But now He is almost 25 and she is almost 20.
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For the first month he was in hospital, and was home October 22nd, and for months after, every night and when I was home, I would lay him on my chest, buttoned into my shirt. and I slept still all night and it was hard, but I had it in my mind for this just 4 pound baby to survive which at first was so small he would fit in the palm of my hand, I would have to keep him warm and let him hear my heart beat.
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To to say that I was attached is under stating it. And my X is a bit of a stone cold killer by comparison. And so the kids are close in heart to me but were forced to stay with her. There are swear words that properly define what the courts are. And if I was even 5% of what they would suggest in an innuendo, slandering, etc. Taliban would have been a proper name. Anyways,
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I will not ever recover totally, but my kids are close, and I love them even though they are running off to their lives. You think you have Loss. LoL.
Maybe it has helped me in my desire to help the homeless and understand others. And maybe, just maybe, the reason Jesus doesn’t bring up Dad, is maybe he lost him early in some way. And I think he likely understands loss. Maybe that is why he also wants us to preach reconciliation.
Truth.