Can anybody hear me???

Many of us have heard the song from Casting Crowns, "Does Anybody Hear Her?"  Read through the lyrics carefully...how many of us can honestly relate to this??

"She is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction. She is trying but the canyon's ever widening in the depths of her cold heart. So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
she's another two years older, and she's three more steps behind...
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see? Or does anybody even know she's going down today.
Under the shadow of our steeple, with all the lost and lonely people, searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me. Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

She is yearning, for shelter and affection that she never found at home. She is searching for a hero to ride in to ride in and save the day. And in walks her prince charming and he knows just what to say
momentary lapse of reason and she gives herself away...

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see? Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple with all the lost and lonely people searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me. Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?........." (Casting Crowns)
So many times when we are going through a trial in life we feel like we are all alone.  We don't share with people simply because we feel we can't.  We feel that if we tell people what is really going on, then they won't understand or, worse, that they really won't care.  I have been there myself many times.  Growing up in church I remember always looking around at the "picture perfect" families in church...the ones with a dad, a stay-at-home mom, lots of brothers and sisters, a dog, the whole nine yards.  I remember thinking things like "they have no idea what reality is like", "what did I do wrong to deserve this?", "it's just not fair, why do they have it so easy?"..on and on...you get the picture.  Obviously now that I am older I realize no family is perfect.  But it is true that God has different people walk through different trials.  My friends who have a dad will never know the issues that come with not having one.  And that is great!  No girl should have to walk through that.  But there were so many times (and still are) when I feel like people don't really know me.  Times where I feel like I just want to cry out and talk to people from church about what I am feeling and have them pray with me.  But I don't.  And I know that is because I think they won't understand.  I have shared a few things with girls from "typical" Christian homes, and when I did, they didn't get it.  But it was through all of this that God has shown me that I shouldn't be going to people as my source...I should be going to Him.  He wants to help, He wants to heal.  But He can't unless I go to Him.  1 Peter 5:7 says, Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. For me, it took not having  a person to cry with, for me to cry out to God.  As I pray and continue to seek Him I wonder how many girls are in the same situation as me....how many girls out there have had the same thoughts...how many girls can relate to this song...how many girls have cried out "can anybody hear me?!?"  God wants you to go to Him.  He does give us Christian friends and if you have one that you are comfortable confiding in that is great!  But they can't be your source.  He has to be your source.

This brings me to my last thought.  God has each of us walk a certain path for a reason.  For me, I know that He will use the things that I have walked through to reach out to girls in single parent homes, girls without dads.  I have such a passion for that ministry.  I can relate to the girls and I can empathize with them.  That is something most of my Christian friends could do not with me.  Sure they could sympathize with me, but they could not empathize with me.  Anytime that Satan starts to bog you down with your past, remember that God can turn it into good and use it for His Glory!  Whether He does or not is up to us; whether we let Him or not.

Run to Him!  Cry out to Him!  Let Him use you!

Always in my prayers,
Jessica