Alone on Valentine’s Day? God Will Be With You
by T. Bitner
Valentine’s Day is one day no one really wants to be alone. It is a day that in many countries has been set aside for us to be with those who love us, and that can make it hard when you feel like you’re alone. While you may not have a Valentine’s Day romance, you don’t have to be completely alone that day.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Isaiah 41:10).
What most people are looking for (beyond romance) is someone who will love them unconditionally, be there whenever they are needed, see the best and forgive the worst, and encourage them to become all they can become. While it is wonderful to find that in a human being, we can also find that in God and in Jesus Christ. No matter how our romances flow, God and His Son are always there and always providing the companionship, the unconditional love, and the moral support we need in our lives. Knowing Them means knowing we are never really alone. They have also provided the Holy Ghost to be a constant companion. We are surrounded by immortal beings who love us, watch over us, and take care of us.
Jeffrey R. Holland, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, gave an Easter talk in 2009 in which he reminded us of how very alone Jesus Christ was in his final hours of life. The video of this powerful sermon is found at the end of this article. The talk was given specifically for those who feel alone in the world for any reason. Because Jesus was completely alone at the most critical and painful moments of His life, He understands our loneliness and can help.
Jesus had already been abandoned by His worldly government and by religious leaders. In the week leading up to the crucifixion, one of His apostles would betray him. Some would sleep while He suffered through the extraordinary pain of the atonement in Gethsemane. His friend, Peter, would deny Him three times. Only a small number stayed near the cross at the end, and Jesus hung there alone. No one could be close enough to hold His hand.
Elder Holland then reminds of us of just how alone the Savior really was.
“Now I speak very carefully, even reverently, of what may have been the most difficult moment in all of this solitary journey to Atonement. I speak of those final moments for which Jesus must have been prepared intellectually and physically but which He may not have fully anticipated emotionally and spiritually—that concluding descent into the paralyzing despair of divine withdrawal when He cries in ultimate loneliness, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
The loss of mortal support He had anticipated, but apparently He had not comprehended this. Had He not said to His disciples, “Behold, the hour … is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me” and “The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him’?”
Jesus understood that no matter how alone we might be in the mortal world, God is always with us. He found comfort in that during His darkest hours by feeling the presence of His Father. During that brief period when the Father had to withdraw in order to allow the Savior to experience the deepest sorrows of mortality, He had faith to know it would come to an end, and He would once again be in the Father’s presence.
Because of this great sacrifice, Jesus has experienced our very hardest moments—the moments we think no one loves us, the moments we are alone, even if there are people who love us, the moments we feel those we love the most have betrayed us. He knows the loneliness of falling short of our ideals. He knows how we feel on a day set aside for love.
“Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: ‘I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].’”
On Valentine’s Day, if the traditional celebrations of candy and flowers aren’t available to you, focus your attention on a more important type of love—love that comes from someone who loved you from the very moment He created you and who will always be there for you. This type of love is unconditional and has the power to change all of eternity. It can help you to become everything you are capable of being and can give you eternal blessings greater than any material gift from a mortal being.
While this Valentine’s Day may not be all you hoped it would be, it is only temporary. God has made plans for our eternal lives and we can prepare ourselves for an eternity in which we are never alone or lonely. We can also reach out to someone else who might be alone on Valentine’s Day. While being with a friend might not be quite the same, when we give ourselves to others we feel so much less alone. We can choose to make this a Valentine’s Day to remember—non-traditional, but satisfying.
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