Teach Them T hat kind of teaching is critical, so mission residents don’t go back to toxic relationships after they leave. “We will work with them and their counselors and psychiatrists and create a plan, so that when the lonely thoughts come, they are armed with the tools to overcome,” Cristina says. The recovery process can be especially diffi- cult for women who are separated from their kids. “Our clients do suffer from feelings of lone- liness due to being away from their friends and families, but especially their children,” Rachel says. “As a team we try to come alongside them and offer our time and prayers. We encourage them to spend time in our War Room prayer room when the feelings get to be overwhelming because we teach that God will never leave them or forsake them (Hebrews 13:5). We really try to pour this into the hearts of our women because truth of the matter is, sometimes the Lord allows loneliness so we learn dependence on Him.” City Rescue Mission’s Case Manager Christina Brannon adds, “Loneliness stems from a deep place that only God can touch and heal. A rest- less and insecure spirit backs us into a corner and the last thing we want is to be left alone with our- selves. Teaching our girls that their worth and value comes from Christ boosts their self-esteem. The healing that comes from renewing their minds through scripture and confession calms their fears and allows them to not only be okay with themselves but to actually like themselves. “Knowing that God will never leave them nor forsake them helps them know that they are really never alone. Once God takes all our broken pieces and puts them back together, being alone is not only something we don’t fear, it’s something we enjoy.” Ĩ 24 WWW.AGRM.ORG MAY/JUNE 2018 “In my experience, depression among the homeless was in varying degrees, but the ‘loner’ or ‘lonely people’ were always a great concern because loneliness seemed to me to be a prelude to suicide or an attempted suicide,” says Jerry Rilling, executive director of Beacon Light Mission in Wilmington, California. These are some signs you could see that indicate people might need help in this area: Ī Withdrawing. Ī An increase in disciplinary problems or self-sabotaging with bad behaviors. Ī Verbalizing lonely feelings in their personal counseling. Ī Increased aggression. Ī Acting more sullen. Ī Becoming more clingy with their counselor or other residents. Ī Using more makeup and dressing up (often inappropriately) more frequently for outings. Reading the Signs Indications that your guests need additional help “Loneliness stems from a deep place that only God can touch and heal. A restless and insecure spirit backs us into a corner and the last thing we want is to be left alone with ourselves.”