Need some advice from you all...

[hippy]

I know I'll get some excellent advice in this forum, so I'm posting this in here...

I've been having a lot of trouble lately. I won't go into it, but it's one of those times in life when family, school, friends, and everything else converge to make life incredibly difficult. It's not that I'm unhappy either, it's just that sometimes I wish just one thing would slow down, that one problem would go away. Taken separately, I can handle all the things coming my way, but taken all together, they can get a little overwhelming.

Anyway, that is not what I was seeking advice on. lol In the midst of everything else that has been happening, I've been realizing that I'm very different from all the people around me. The sense of isolation, even when I'm around friends, is often overwhelming. I feel like I'm the only one who's working really hard, who has direction, knows where I want to go and how I want to get there, has a set of beliefs which I adhere to strongly... I just feel completely different from EVERYONE around me.

Okay, finally to what I actually wanted advice on... there is no one around me who is at the same level spiritually that I am on. There is really no one around here, even in the on campus church groups who I feel I can really communicate with on an intimate level. I've been really missing good spiritual dialogue ever since I came to school and recently I've REALLY been noticing the lack of spirituality around here. It's not that people don't believe, it's that they don't discuss their beliefs and how they came about to believing what they do. I don't know how to remedy this situation or even where to begin. Part of the problem is that I don't even have time lately to read the books that always bring me comfort (you know, the spiritual classics, so to speak).

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the break in a couple of weeks, during which time I will be reading all the books that got neglected this semester. I'll be trying to screw my head back on straightly also. lol

Any advice? or anyone else ever felt like this?


[/therapy session]

 

[bonosloveslave]

*gotta gather my thoughts here, lemmee get back to you*

but a big for now

 

[sulawesigirl4]

*hugs*

I have been there. I don't have enough time to give some solid advice at the moment, but know that I will be praying for you and am here for you.

 

[nbcrusader]

Hippy,

I understand completely. There is something essential in being able to fellowship on a spiritually intimate level with another believer.

Finding this person doesn't come from some set formula. I have found many places where I would expect deep spiritual sharing ended up being unsafe for various reasons. Trust the Lord to guide the right person to you.

I'll be praying about this for you - God will supply the fellowship you need.

If there is anything else you want to discuss, please feel free to PM me.

 

[hippy]

I'll be praying about this for you - God will supply the fellowship you need.

thank you all for the hugs and the prayers

I took some time today and sat outside and just wrote... and I feel that I'm in a really spiritually void place (both literally and figuratively), but I decided that I ended up here for a specific purpose and that God would have me here for some reason, even though I can't really see what it is.

Needless to say, I'm ready for Winter Break, and even more ready to leave this place altogether and move on with my life. I'll need continued prayers, and if you all have any advice about finding someone to connect with, I would welcome all advice, hugs, words of wisdom, Bible verses, etc. I'm really searching, but I still haven't found what I'm looking for lol

Thank you all again

~hippy

 

[Amigone]

...there is no one around me who is at the same level spiritually that I am on.

Any advice? or anyone else ever felt like this?

I feel the same... I'm the only Christian in my family. The only one in my entire family (except my aunt whom I never see) who's not agnostic or athiest.

I don't have time to go to church anymore, to have the fellowship I once did because of my work schedule... I miss it, because there were people at that church who really understood...

I don't really know what advice to give though... sorry.

 

[oliveu2cm]

Hippy,

I know exactly what you are talking about.

In college, especially in the early years when I hadn't met my best friend, I felt like I was the only one at school for the reason of getting an education. I felt like I was the only one who looked forward to getting a difficult assignment from a professor and spending all night in the study lounge with my classmates trying to figure it out. I felt like I was the only one who wanted to do more than just party, who wanted to socialize on other levels.

I had a difficult time in those years with religion, especially since I saw so many students partying, sleeping around, doing drugs, being total snobs etc.. and then going to church on Sunday. It made me sick, and while it wasn't my place to judge but it definitely offended me. I could not join any of the youth groups on campus because those students ran them all. It was discouraging and frustrating.

Junior year I decided to do a trip through the campus ministry during my spring break, and it was one of the most memorable things i did in college. I was younger than everyone else and knew no one (10 students went) but had an amazing time travelling to Maryland to do Habitat for Humanity, and I felt SO good to be able to talk to people about similiar ideas & feelings and to visit great monastries and pray every night.

I'm not really sure what advice I can give you... it's not an easy time, I know that. I wonder if you could start a discussion group on your campus; you can't be the only one feeling this way? You never know who else is out there, wanting to meet with others about this same issue.

If I have any more advice, I'll let you know. Best of luck.

Love Carrie

 

[sulawesigirl4]

Well, you know there is always a spot at L'Abri for you. It has been the best thing in the world for me.

 

[hippy]

Thank you all for your support

I still don't know what I'm going to do about finding a spiritual group here on campus, but I'm headed home for awhile. I'll finally be able to breathe and think about things... so it'll be a relief. Maybe that'll give me some time figure out what to do

Thank you all

 

[bonosloveslave]

I'm sorry I never got back to this - I hope life is settling down a bit for you now that school is done.......

I'm wondering if you are being taken 'through the Valley'? I've mentioned this to someone else on here, I know it wasn't you but I can't remember who If you have time on your break, if you haven't read it already, "Hind's Feet on High Places" by Hannah Hurnard is really really good. I've done a study on it and it really helps to put perspective on the rough times.

You're in my prayers, I hope the new year will be full of blessings for you - just know that we (and I) are here to 'listen' whenever you need to vent - I know how frustrating it can be

Beth

 

[hippy]

Thanks again everyone! I still need prayers... but spending time at home has really helped. I also figured out that I was just simply exhausted (I've been sleeping constantly since I got home a week and a half ago). And being exhausted tends to skew your view of things. I'm looking forward to going back to school. And I've already made plans with another friend of mine, who is also a spiritual person, to start checking out churches this semester. This friend and I have also started to talk more, and she's helping a great deal

Thank you all again! It's always nice to know you care