The Only One

Have you ever had a season of life where you felt isolated and alone and felt like the only one who was going through the struggle you were in?

I remember when Nathan and I moved to Idaho years ago. To a state hundreds of miles away from any family or friends. That first year was HARD!

I remember when we had our first baby and I stayed at home. Most of my friends I had made were a season ahead and their babies were all in school, I felt so alone.

I remember when we had our first 5 children and my in-laws moved in with us. Not only were we busy with baby season having 5 children in 7 years. We had start our homeschooling journey and I was so stressed I wasn't going to do a good enough job. We also had multiple doctor appointments to take Nana and Papa to with all 5 children in tow most of the time. (Pre Covid you could do that.)

We couldn't afford childcare for 5 children that often and felt bad dropping 5 children off on friends that often. I had to squeeze schooling in where we could as well; it was done in the car and in waiting rooms, wherever we could find the time. It was a crazy, busy and lonely time. We felt like no one understood, we knew of no one else that had their parents living with them at the same time as raising their children and homeschooling.

Then there was a season of my cancer stuff. Between being so out of it from the treatments and having no immune system so trying to be cautious and trying to stay healthy, it was a lonely season. There are many things from that season I never knew and learned that many people just don't realize (understandably), but that's whole other post on another day.

Through those seasons of life the Lord has taught me that we aren't alone. He is always with us. Matthew 28:20 I am always with you.

Believing the lie that I was alone was wrong.

There was truth to everything I mentioned above. 

Needing to start our new life in Idaho and making new friends.

Having babies (more than most of the friends I did have locally to do things with) and then more babies so our baby season was a lot longer than almost everyone we knew which limited our ability to do things with them as we still had naptime to look out for.

Having grandparents living with us limit the ability to have playgroups/playdates at our house, not that they didn't like having people and little ones around but it caused a disruption to their schedule as well as tripping hazards for them that made us super nervous.

I personally had no experience with how to homeschool we just knew we felt as though that was what the Lord was calling us to do. It was a huge learning curve for us, we thankfully had a few friends that were also homeschooling but the benefit if homeschooling to the needs of your children and family can be lonely because no two families are the same.

Learning to mentally address young children to finish the food they took or don't interrupt in conversations or clean up after themselves or no they may not have dessert every night of the week. Yet having them look right at us going "What?" as their grandparents didn't have to eat everything served or on their plates, and as the grandparents asked for dessert every night, little ones didn't quite get that concept right away. 😉

It was a season (and still is as we still 13 years later are in the thick of raising children
) where the Lord has allowed us to help our children to look beyond themselves to those around them that need help and be the one to use the gifts the Lord has given them to help.

Our children have days they feel isolated and lonely just as we do. We try to encourage our children  through prayer and Biblical wisdom that these are just that, days and seasons. We will all face these seasons in life at some time or another where Satan tries to make us think we are the only one.

We aren't.

All it takes is a Cooney family gathering to remember we are definitely not alone! 

And to appreciate our quiet days and seasons.