Abandonment Issues

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”   HEBREWS 13:5 (NIV)

I BELIEVE GOD CREATED some animals not to remind us of his attributes, but to help us remember what he is not.

For instance, the hairy-looking cassowary, with its hornlike helmet, is a flightless bird in the South Pacific the size of an emu. It looks like a leftover dinosauror someone’s awful idea for a Halloween costume, so there’s not much that’s appealing.

The female cassowary isn’t motherly, which adds to her repulsiveness. She lays eggs, then leaves the male to sit on them for about eight weeks until they hatch. Dad raises the chicks by himself for nine months until they strike out on their own.

Single parenting is a topic close to my heart. I, too, was left parenting my two children alone. Rejection and depression shredded me. It was like someone stamped “reduced” on my forehead and threw me into a bargain bin.

Those were dark days.

Yet, God never disappeared. In fact, I sensed him hovering fiercer than ever. In my weakness, he became stronger, creating an ever-increasing desire for me to run to him daily. My dependence and trust upon my heavenly Father was fortified. My heart was nourished and healed. I’ve never been the same.

People can let us down, but God—never! We may be disappointed if he hasn’t given us what we want, but that is not to be confused as abandonment. God is not a cassowary; he will never abandon us.

If you’ve ever been hurt by someone, you understand what it’s like to feel cut off, emotionally alone. But Jesus promises he will never fail you. The Holy Spirit promises to be with you, always.

Thank you, Lord, for your promise to never leave me. I choose to believe that truth and walk confidently through life. Whatever happens, I don’t have to fear, for you will never abandon those you love. Amen.