Friends, I bet each one of us has many stories to tell about being abandoned and left behind. Seems like we are in a perpetual journey of cleaving tightly to friends, relationships, family ties, jobs, and careers only to leave them all, or to be left by them. Sooner or later our close-knit groups will dissolve, childhood friends move on to new directions, and even our family members and trusted friends might go their own and separate ways. Whether we leave things or people behind, or we’re left behind by them, there are many journeys in our lives where we’re abandoned, or we’ve abandoned others.
Abandoning things and people or being abandoned by others seem to be the natural flow and direction of our mortal lives. Just take a past and present inventory of your own life, and of those that you might know. and see the pervasiveness of abandonment in the story of your life. It’s true that we live in a world with abundance of abandonment. Children, youth, and elderly are abandoned by those closest to them in pursuit of a life of ambition, money, and success. Loyal and faithful employees of all rank and file are abandoned by their employers in pursuit of savings, profits, and the bottom line. And even the permanency of love, marriage, and close relationships are abandoned for wealth, passing pleasures, and a greener grass on the other side of the fence.
Depending on our ages, we’ve all left, or will soon be leaving, our childhood and young adulthood friendships, relationships, and entanglements behind in some old memory files. Life moves on but blessed are those who still maintain healthy old connections that they continue to nourish. But sooner or later all the bad and good will be left behind as everyone takes her/his separate road in life. The natural pattern of cleaving then leaving, gathering then scattering, and abandoning or being abandoned will follow us for the rest of our adult lives until the very end.
Many people experience hurt and bitterness in their hearts because they were abandoned and forgotten after their money, love, time, energy, zeal and kindness were used, or they were no longer needed to meet someone’s needs.
Friend, relationships and people are not restaurants to come in, eat and then abandon them when our hunger is satisfied, and thirst is quenched. They are not meant to be used to meet someone’s physical, emotional or spiritual need and then left behind and abandoned after such needs are met. To meet our needs from someone’s time, love, and resources and then abandon that person is not just a sign of selfishness but it’s a hallmark of a heart that’s unable to love others and find value in them.
So how do we find value, love, and worth during abandonment? And Can we still find a sense of worth, value, security, and hope when we’re abandoned?To that I say, even if everyone abandons us, I believe God will not
Views expressed here are only of the author, and do not represent the views of any other organization or entity. Information in this blog are not meant to be medical advice. Please see your medical provider or psychologist for any of your medical or psychological concerns.