Ministry Can "feel" Lonley

Hebrews 12:1-2

English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

I've heard it, and felt it but don't understand why....there are so many running the race...why does it feel lonely at times?

I was asking the Lord this question.

I felt like His answer was that if He always paired us with people with the same callings and gifts we would begin to rely on each other, rather than Him and Him alone.

For example, Charlie and I have many of the same passions, but totally different gifts and totally different ways of going about things.  We end up in the same place, but different routes.  I feel this way with my sisters and my daughter as well...same in many areas, but spread across different states with very different races.
  We are all running with the same goal, but individually.

It feels lonely when we are looking for human confirmation or affirmation.
When I remember to look to Christ alone, I am full!
And the times when our races intersect or there is a stretch of striding side by side, it is an amazing gift.
It is like a rest stop where you get filled up, pumped up, cleaned up, and then off to the races once again.

We are to function as a body, but with each a different role and many times one doesn't even "get" the other's role.  So even though we are a body we are to do and act and be what God calls us individually to and allow for others to do, act and be what God calls them to.
 If we are looking for (which is my tendency)that companionship of same thoughts, same function, same timing, we must only look to Christ.  He is the only one who knows us inside and out, and can be our "perfecter" and our "all in all".

I think of Mary and Joseph.  They were given the "talk" about what God was doing in them at different times and individually.
 They both had very different roles with the same purpose.  It must have felt lonely for a time when Mary knew what she knew, and nobody else did.
 She had to trust the Lord.
 Joseph must have felt like a weirdo among his buddies.
He had to trust the Lord.

If I were Mary I would want God to sit me down with Joseph and my parents, and my family,  and my friends, and give us all the details of what He was doing, at the same time, and we could all ask questions and weigh in on all the details...take a vote, ya know......but that scenario takes no faith or trust or relationship at all.
 He wants us to trust in Him
 ALONE.

Even though it may "feel" a bit lonely at times....the reality is that we are all connected and we are all the "CHURCH"
 together.
Here's the reality...God goes before us .....

The church!  A cloud of witnesses.  :)

and behind us to have so many with us....loving us, supporting us and praying for us.

We are never alone.  Even when we feel alone...God is with us and He will never leave us, and He is all we need.