You're Not Alone

It happens to us at one point or another. It happens to the new missionary who finds himself in the unknown, to the couple separated by death, or in those moments where nothing seems to be going right in our life. Those feelings of loneliness which fill us with doubt and make us feel weak. I remember well those moments, both long ago and recent, but I also remember what brought me comfort in those times of need. It was the quiet reassurance that I am not alone.

This simple reminder was first sung to me time and time again by my father during those moments of loneliness as a young boy. I would lie in my bed and be crying and hear my bedroom door quietly open and my dad would close it behind him. And then would come the song to calm my fears, my doubts, and my sadness; Michael McLean’s “You’re Not Alone.”

“You're not alone,
even tho' right now you're on your own.
You are loved in ways that can't be shown;
You're needs are known;
You're not alone

And when you cry,
You're just letting go a heartache deep inside.
So tomorrow there'll be sunshine and sky -
and love close by;
You're not alone

And I know that it's not easy,
but I know that it won't last.
'Cause one who loves you more than I
is sending blessings fast

You're not alone,
say it one more time.
‘I'm not alone.’
And even when it's hard to find the words.
Your prayers are always heard
You're not alone.”

Ever since then, whenever I feel moments of loneliness, this song comes to mind to bring me a sense of calm and guide me to what I must do. He that loves me more than anyone else is waiting to hear my prayers and help me to know that I am not alone.

Last semester I was going through a very hard time as a recently returned missionary adjusting to life in an unknown community. Arriving home, I had expected to have the girl I dated before my mission to be at my side to help me adjust. While she was there when I first got home, things did not go as I had planned and she slowly disappeared from my life. I was confused and filled with even more loneliness, especially as I made failed attempts at fixing the friendship that had been so important to me. On Saturday, November 2, 2013, I decided to fast, asking God to help me in my situation. The next day I called her and was finally able to talk to her, only to hear the dreaded words, “Karsten, I have a boyfriend.” I was devastated. I was heartbroken. I was totally alone. I sat in a stunned state of sadness for a couple hours until I realized that there was only one thing to do. I got down on my knees, and poured out my heart to God. I do not know how long I knelt by my bedside, but I had an amazing conversation with my Father in Heaven. The more we discussed what was going on in my life, the more I began to feel a calm sensation enter into my soul. God filled me with his love and comforted me. At the end of my prayer, I no longer felt the sadness that had overcome me. He filled me with strength and determination to continue forward and to live happy. He let me know that I was not alone and never will be.

The power of prayer is such an essential part in overcoming the feeling of being alone. Fortunately for us, prayer does not have dead zones without service and there is no charge, no matter how long we decide to talk “long distance.” How great it is to have such a loving Heavenly Father that is not only willing to listen to all that we have to say, but speaks back as well. I have no idea how many times I have been able to kneel down in private and pour out my heart and soul to him and after he listens attentively, he fills me with peace and love and assures me that I am not alone. Whether kneeling in your room or sending out a silent cry for strength when out in the world, he will help to calm your fears and lift you up.

As we look to our Heavenly Father, He promises us that we are not alone while in his care. We can know of the truthfulness of this promise because He sent his beloved son Jesus Christ to suffer greatly for us. Jeffrey R. Holland, of the twelve apostles, said, “Now I speak very carefully, even reverently, of what may have been the most difficult moment in all of this solitary journey to Atonement. I speak of those final moments for which Jesus must have been prepared intellectually and physically but which He may not have fully anticipated emotionally and spiritually—that concluding descent into the paralyzing despair of divine withdrawal when He cries in ultimate loneliness, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Even the greatest of us all had to suffer total loneliness, so much so that He cried out to God asking as to why he had been forsaken. Christ’s suffering for having been left alone allows us to find hope. Christ suffered all so that “he may know according to the flesh how to [comfort] his people” (Alma 7:11-13). I know this to be true, for I have felt that comfort. He is our constant protector and our best friend. We are not alone, because Christ will never leave our side.

Bring in the Light, then be assured that you are not alone, for He will always be with you.