*You feel alone in a crowded room and wish you could somehow hide and avoid the awkwardness.
*A rejection from the past is causing you to have trust issues in your current relationships.
*You catch yourself assigning thoughts to others that they never actually think, certain that they don't like you.
*You had a friendship that didn't last.
*Or maybe you have experienced a rejection so deep that it turned your world upside-down.
If you've been in any of these places, you'll be comforted to know that author Lysa TerKerust would say, "Me Too"! Out of the vulnerability of one woman sharing her pain, we can know that we are not alone and learn from someone who has and is fighting the same battles. In this book, Lysa shares her struggles and the truths that have helped her heal and improve her perspective. We can trust her advice because she has been there too.
There is so much wisdom packed into these pages that it was difficult for me to pick out what I wanted to highlight in this review! I suppose my biggest take-away was an insight Lysa shared about the difference between being set aside and set apart. She writes...
"To be set aside is to be rejected. That's exactly what the enemy would have wanted me to feel. If he could get me to feel this, then I'd become completely self-absorbed in my own insecurity and miss whatever the reason God had for me to be at this event.
To be set apart is to be given an assignment that requires preparation.
I know it's painful to be alone. And I know the thoughts of being set aside are loud and overwhelmingly tempting to believe in the hollows of feeling unnoticed and uninvited. But as you pray through your feelings, see if maybe your situation has more to do with you being prepared than you being overlooked. There is something wonderfully sacred that happens when a girl chooses to realize that being set aside is actually God's call for her to be set apart."
And did you know that there is actually a blessing that arises out of being lonely? Lysa writes "The conversations I have with the Lord in my loneliness always lead me to more intimacy with Him and more compassion for others." I've found that to be true in my life as well.
There are some helpful tools contained in these pages:
*Chapter 14 contains ten prayers that were inspired by Psalm 91. When you feel alone and don't even have the words to pray - these prayers will give you a good starting point.
*Have you ever wondered what you have in common with the Olive Tree? Chapter 15 has some insightful parallels that illustrate how hardship in our lives can be used for good.
*There is a Bonus Chapter entitled, What's It Like To Do Life With Me? This chapter includes a self-assessment and helps you to evaluate your own role in your relationships.
It is not easy to live loved when you're feeling left out and lonely. I know that from experience. But by focusing on the truths presented in this book, you can begin to change your outlook and take steps toward finding fullness in God.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.
