7,000

I've never been a numbers person. Ever. Like my whole life. They frustrate me. And that's exactly why I took a job at a bank shortly after receiving my bachelor of arts in communications. Though the job was better than I expected, the interaction with customers was definitely the highlight.

These hands have counted millions of dollars over a period of years. And these hands have also been through countless bottles of hand sanitizer. One thing I learned through my years in banking is that one truly is the loneliest number. (Thank you Three Dog Night for the use of your lyrics!)  To have one bill or coin left in a drawer is frustrating. Especially at the moment when you realize that you need multiple of that one item.  Though counting one is easier and less time consuming than counting multiples, it was never meant to be just one. Over the last few years, I've learned just how lonely it is to be one.



I am one woman. Some days I wonder if having multiple of me wouldn't be for the greater good of my family.  There is expectations and obligations that are solely on me. I am wife to Anthony and mom to our three boys.  That is four people who daily depend on me to provide for their needs.  Clean clothes, warm meals, sweet snuggles, homework helper, tidy house, spiritual role model. And that's just to name a few. My day is packed from sun up to sun down...and beyond, honestly. Since my obligations reach beyond my home, others depend on me as friend, teacher, leader, helper.

Sometimes I get so caught up in the roles that being just one is lonely and isolating. And I know I'm not the only one who has felt or will feel that way. There is an account of a man in the first book of Kings that has been a reminder to me of what my one feels like and the truth of God regarding it. Elijah, a prophet of Almighty God, zealously served the Lord, speaking truth and putting his life on the line to prove the Lord is the God of Israel. After the Lord showed Himself at Mount Carmel and the 450 prophets of Baal were slain, Elijah feared for his life and ran to Mount Sinai. It was there that Almighty God revealed to Elijah that he was, in fact, not alone. God had reserved from Himself 7,000 in Israel that had never served or worshipped Baal.

Over the last few days, weeks and months even, God has been faithful to show me that I, too, am not alone. Community is vital. He continues to amaze me with beautiful connections via social media and surprise me with new friends who live just a few miles down the road.  And while our journeys look different, we are all running the same race. Seeking the face of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  And in my Elijah moments, when I look at little ole lonely me, I can praise my Jesus for these women who are walking  running along side me.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-12