by Janet Moore

I have often felt like our society overlooks the power of loneliness. As you would expect, feeling alone and isolated has profound negative effects on a person’s well being. God knew this when he called us into fellowship together. We were created with a need to worship and pray with others. It is not that He needs two or more people in order to complete His will. We do.

I regularly witness the power of loneliness at the WND. We serve well over 200 people on Wednesday night. Many are struggling with poverty or mental illness, yet they make WND a part of their routine. For me, greeting folks at the door is a job I find particularly difficult—counseling, which I do a lot of, tends to be one-on-one.

Dealing with the masses is a new and challenging experience for me. The guests are always anxious to get into the Fellowship Hall. One particular night, as many were rushing past as I tried to greet them, one unkempt elderly man stopped, looked me in the eyes and explained, “You are the first person to speak to me all day.”

Through the course of the next several weeks I made sure to talk to him and greeted him every night. One night he said, “Why are you being so nice to me? Most people ask me to leave them alone.” He told me how he had lost everything in his life— family, job, home and friends, due to the onset of a mental illness in his fifties. He lives alone in a shelter with 200 other people. He said he has never felt more alone and abandoned. He said that WND provides him a place to feel useful and a part of a community.

He now e-mails me every other week with five simple words “I am just checking in.” I send off a quick e-mail and a little chatter. More importantly, I notice him and respond.

I met a woman who has struggled with chronic depression for most of her life. It takes her a tremendous amount of energy to come to the dinners. She would prefer to stay home and isolate herself, but it is part of her treatment plan to be with people.

I still thank God that I remembered her name the following week and greeted her using her name. Her eyes filled with tears as she stated her surprise that I remembered her name. She has shared with me how loneliness has filled her life and how isolated she is. Though being isolated has offered her some protection from the world, it comes at a great cost for her. The WND community has given her a safe place to meet with people and start forming relationships.

I am grateful for the opportunity to encourage people and to be an example of Christ love for others. Volunteering at WND is a great way to show people the love of Christ. We always need people to eat with our guests. Join us as we witness the powerful, healing love of God.