No Mail

“I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery . . . But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’” –Psalm 31:12, 14

Sometimes, just after a move or during a long deployment, I may rely too much on mail and e-mail. If I’m feeling lonely, I’ll catch myself checking my on-line mailbox several times a day for news from family and friends far away. If the snail mail carrier is late, I'll check the mailbox every fifteen minutes or so until the mail arrives. If it contains packages or letters from home, I think of my mail carrier as a dear friend who brings me fun treats! If the mail is only junk or, worse yet, nothing at all, it’s all the mail carrier’s fault.

It’s not really the mail carrier’s fault; it’s just easier to blame the mail carrier than it is to feel lonely and rejected like the author of Psalm 31:12. When I do feel lonely like the psalmist, I have to remind myself that my friends and family haven’t really forgotten me. They pray for me and think of me when God brings me to mind, but putting pen to paper or fingers to a keyboard takes time. They have important things to do, and so do I. Too much keeping in touch is an unreasonable expectation. I won’t burden those I love with it.

So I’ll take another lesson from the psalmist during these times and choose to trust in the Lord my God. He is with me; I am not alone. He even sends me letters anytime I want--I just have to remember to look for them in His Word, in the new flowers in my garden, and in the faces of new neighbors who will soon be friends.

In lonely times and always, I’ll trust in You, O Lord. You are my God! Amen.