I like photographing things that stand out—subjects that easily catch the eye. Sometimes, it’s a lone tree on a hill. Sometimes it’s a person on a walk, an animal on a trot, or an unusual rock.

Have you ever felt like you were all alone against the world? Your ideas were considered strange, and your mind seemed deranged. Your friends seem to have lost their friendliness, and your opposition stands firm. It is even possible to feel lonely in a parade when you don’t identify with those in the crowd.

You are not alone in feeling that way. Close friends and companions who let their hair down and bare their souls will identify. The scriptures are full of spiritual giants who felt abandoned by fellow humans and God. Think of Moses, David, Jonah, and even Jesus in Gethsemane and at the Cross. The disciples couldn’t stay awake in the garden, and God seemed to have forsaken Him on the cross: “and about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew‬ ‭27:46‬).

Feeling alone does not mean you are lacking faith or are defective in some way. It just means you are alone—a wonderfully emotional, warm-fuzzy person who needs companionship. Those qualities do well in Heaven. Perhaps you have a heart of flesh and not of stone. Perhaps you are thinking of others and are not self-centered. Perhaps it is a strength and not a weakness.

I am blessed with a busy and buzzing family, an active mind, and a hobby that requires some quiet time. So, I’m not a good, well-balanced one to feel loneliness, but I think I get it. My time will come. Maybe yours will too, or maybe you’ve already been blessed to know what it’s like. If so, you are qualified to be a caregiver. Thanks for sharing your gift.

—Larry Smith