Trainsformers—An Urban Christian JourneySample

Alone in a Crowd

Efrain A.

One of the most exciting things about life in New York City is this sense that you’re never alone; you’re always surrounded by a crowd. If you take the train to work every day, you could easily be around hundreds of people during your commute. NYC is also one of those special places where people are busy, hurrying from one place to the next. No one looks up. No one puts down their phones. No one says, “Hi!” 

In the midst of all this activity, it’s pretty easy to find yourself alone in a crowd ... and isolation is a dangerous thing! You could easily find yourself alone with your own thoughts, your own problems, your own anxieties. This leads to a huge disconnect. You can be surrounded by millions of people and yet feel alone.

Now, even though you might feel disconnected, God tells us the exact opposite. He tells us that he desires to connect with us. We should not allow our anxieties to get the best of us because he is with us and will take care of us. 

As you think about these things, take the time to remember God’s promises to you. Can you stand on God’s promises? I hope you can, because his Word is his bond! He promised that he would be with you every day of your life until the end of the world. He is with you—why should you be afraid? He will make you strong, he will protect you, and he will help you with everything you will do in this very day.

Today, you can choose to rely on your feelings, or you can choose to rely on God’s promises. Feelings come and go, but God’s Word endures forever. It is your choice where you will determine to focus your thoughts today. Will it be on how you feel? Or will it be on the fact that God is with you, making you strong, and protecting you and helping you in everything you will do? I encourage you to pray together with me and to align your thought life with God’s Word. 

Prayer

God, thank you for loving us so much that you’ll never leave us alone. Thank you for finding a way into our lives, even in the midst of our loneliness. Help us never to let loneliness overcome us and paralyze us with fear.