As I scrolled through social media, my heart instantly dropped to the floor as I saw another girl living out the same prayer I was desperately offering to the Lord, yet my prayer remained unanswered. At that moment, my thoughts veered toward the extreme as paralyzing doubts raged inside me, wondering if God had even heard my cries. If He has noticed, why does this season's loneliness and the ache in my heart hurt so bad?

With over 8 billion people in this world how is it even possible to feel alone?  More than just feeling alone, it's about the sadness and despair we feel when we feel that no one is for us or cares about us.  Loneliness when we are surrounded by others is a very real phenomenon and I’m not here to tell you it gets easier with time or that you shouldn't worry because it’ll be alright.  I’m here to tell you that it's normal and to give you a few ways that have worked for me over the last 20 years to hopefully minimize the pain you may feel.

When the pain of your hurting heart becomes overwhelming, and the light at the end of the tunnel seems impossible to see, it's natural to become overwhelmed and question where to begin your healing journey. I've been there too. I’ve questioned my faith in God's comfort when the pain clouded my mind from thinking clearly, making it hard to see any good. Maybe you've felt this way too. Have you ever wondered and said things to yourself like, “Will I hurt like this forever?

Not in a million years did the thought of anxiety and depression ever cross my mind as something I’d have to live with. Never did I entertain the thoughts of despair and excruciating, debilitating pain mentally. But here I am, almost four years after being diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and depression, battling some of the same issues.

Have you ever felt absolutely empty, like you woke up one day with a deep aching in your belly, but no matter what you did, you just couldn’t shake the feeling? Then, as you walked throughout your day, week, or month, you started to wonder, “Why is everything going wrong, and why is the Lord allowing this to happen to me?”

For many years I struggled with crippling fear, specifically in social situations. I was constantly caring about what others thought of me, obsessed with others’ perception of how I looked, what I said, and who I was. Social anxiety was a prison and a stronghold over my life. Maybe you don’t have something as severe as social anxiety, but you’ve noticed that you care a little too much about what others may think of you, or you tend to base most of your decisions on the approval of others. Has this fear of man caused you to become a bit of a recluse? Slinking into the shadows to avoid the spotlight for fear of being judged? Or maybe it has the opposite effect and has caused you to become a people-pleaser, perpetually trying to make everyone happy and molding yourself into what everyone else wants you to be.

Lately, I have been living off "Help me" prayers. My energy has been low as the daily demands of life are numerous and exhausting, leaving me overwhelmed and drained. Yet, even when the days are long, and our souls are yearning for rest, the Lord knows our hearts and will respond to us, even when all we can muster is "Help me, Lord."

A woman who says yes to God must confront the places and people she may have avoided in the past. For example, I have been taking my son on morning walks before the day's heat scorches everyone and everything outside. I have been enjoying my time getting outside, but my postpartum anxiety has me praying that no one stops me to talk. Spending quality time chatting with friends is a rarity I thoroughly enjoy. Still, unwanted talks with strangers leave me with anxious feelings and wanting to escape rather than engage in conversation.

It's Okay to be a Faith-filled Christian and have a Therapist Too! Stop worrying about what others will think! Even Elijah battled depression, and we didn't see God sending angels to preach at him to pray more fervently or condemn him. Instead, he sent an angel to comfort him while he rested!

Has anxiety ever weighed so intensely on your heart that it consumed your thoughts, even as you spent time with friends? We’ve all experienced those moments where we were physically present but mentally absent because we were immensely enthralled in our doubts, anxieties, and fears. The night comes to an end in a blur as we can’t remember what was said amongst our friends, but we vividly remember the torment of our mental anguish.

What if there is redemption, love, and assurance on the other side of rejection, loneliness, and anxiety? When you are walking through hard seasons, it's difficult to quiet your mind and allow the inner working of the Holy Spirit to speak His grace and truth over your life, but what if doing the very hard thing is the very thing we need to grow in our faith?

More often than not, the church shies away from the tough topic of mental health disorders. Perhaps, many church leaders find themselves ill-equipped to deal with such issues as anxiety, panic disorder, phobias, and OCD. Either way, these issues are very real and the church cannot remain indifferent to them.