Easter this year was difficult for me. I was away from my family this time, and as I scrolled through Instagram, seeing people spend time with their loved ones, I felt lonelier than ever. This season of my life has been the loneliest I’ve ever known. People are getting married, friends are having sleepovers and taking trips, families are vacationing together, and couples are spending quality time with each other. And here I am—struggling to make friends, single, overwhelmed by my job, and probably feeling more lonely than ever.
In these low moments, I often wonder if Christ sees my tears. Does He know the nights when my pillow is soaked with tears? Does He understand how broken my heart is? Does He recognise my deep longing for companionship? Does He see me struggling to build friendships? Does He know how exhausted I am from work? Does He understand that I'm expected to be aggressive at work, but I’m naturally empathetic? Does He see my fears and struggles?
The questions often feel endless. My mind bounces from one thought to the next without stopping.
And yet, even in our loneliness on this earth, we have hope. We have a Saviour who knows loneliness deeply. Hanging on the cross—beaten, mocked, spit on, slapped, and smeared—He endured everything so that I could be saved. How can one man die for another? I don’t fully understand, but He was the Son of God who came down from heaven for us. He bore the worst punishment, and even surrounded by His own people, I’m sure He still felt utterly alone in that moment. Despite everything, the pain and agony He endured were beyond anything we could imagine.
He died on a Friday. On Saturday, everything was silent. His family, His disciples, His followers—they were heartbroken, unsure of what to do next. They mourned His loss. But as He had promised, He rose again on Sunday, defeating death and all the pain and suffering He endured on the cross. Every moment of shame, every feeling of loneliness—He conquered it. For whom? For me, and for you.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
"For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding." (1 Chronicles 29:15)
So my God, who sent His son to die for me on the cross and who rose again on the third day, knows my Saturdays and my Sundays. He sees me—because He is El Roi, the God who sees. He is the same God through all generations. He knows my loneliness and is ready to walk with me. He understands my smallest and greatest needs, knows my past, present, and future. And He is full of love. Jesus promises that He is with us until the very end. (Matthew 28:20)
The tomb is empty—but that emptiness represents Christ’s victory over death. When I feel empty, He has given His Spirit to guide me through it. He fills my emptiness with His love. The cross reminds me that Christ walked the path of loneliness, bearing the cup of wrath. He walked before me and endured everything this earth could bring.
If you're facing a season of loneliness and exhaustion, may you encounter Christ and be strengthened by His love to carry you through. He sees it all, my friend, and He understands.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.
—William Cowper
Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash
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