Quiet Desperation

"Most men live lives of quiet desperation." ~Henry David Thoreau

We live in a world where answers come in a form of a pill. We live in a society where if your marriage struggles, you just give up. We live in a time where if you just can't handle being a mother, you just kill your baby in the womb. Its funny how the words of Thoreau, written more than 150 years ago, still apply today.

We do live in a world of quiet desperation. We are struggling to make ends meet--financially, emotionally, spiritually. We are so desperate for connection with others, but we are looking in the wrong places. Church attendance is down across all denominations. At the same time traffic to sites like Facebook and twitter are on the rise.

What is the problem? Why are we living in desperation? We've removed God from our lives. We are too busy to make time for Him in prayer. We are unwilling to shut out all of the noise in our lives and listen to His words for us. We reject the church community over "personal spirituality." We are desperate in our lives because we don't connect with God. We are desperate in our lives because Facebook has replaced a real connection with others. (Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-Facebook. I use Facebook quite often, but I have seen it take over people's lives. It is when that happens that Facebook and other social networking sites become dangerous and lead us to a life of desperation.)

What do we do? First of all---go back to church. And don't just show up on Sunday and then go home without another thought to church or your faith for another week until you go again. Get involved. Every church has ministries. If there is not a ministry that fits your needs, start one. You need to know that you are not the only person that has struggles. Other people are struggling with the same things you are struggling with and many church ministries are small communities where people can share their struggles and support each other in their struggles. My wife and I are involved in an international movement called Teams of Our Lady which supports marriage. We have, from time to time, thought about leaving it because we are too busy, can't find babysitters, etc. but each time we come to the conclusion that we need this for our marriage.

The second--and most important--thing that you can do is pray. God is the healer of our desperation. If God is the center of your life then you will be surrounded in His love despite the struggles and trials you go through.

Life isn't easy. It isn't supposed to be easy. God wants us to rely on Him and others in our journey to salvation. We can't do it alone. We need to seek the support of others. Likewise, we need to be a support to others who come to us in desperation. It is supporting others that I most struggle with. I hope and pray that I can overcome this struggle and be able to support others who come to me in their time of need.

May God give us all the strength to move out of lives of quiet desperation and into lives where we are surrounded by others who love and support us and wrapped in the grace, mercy, and love of God.