Colleen Mitchell
About the Author

Colleen Mitchell is wife, mother to five sons, missionary, and faith adventurer. She lives in the high mountains of Costa Rica where she is director of the St. Francis Emmaus Center, an outreach to indigenous mothers founded by she and her husband. Colleen believes in the power of love, the...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Colleen, this so resonated with me: “I don’t have the option for a coffee date or grabbing a quick lunch with a friend. There are not many girls’ nights in my life. No Bible study
    time, no Sunday barbeques with friends.” My reasons are different from yours. Because I am nearly blind, I cannot drive. Most of my friends have drifted away.

    Still, the longing is the same. And now I’ll be looking more for ways to extend invitations to others AND accept the ones they extend to me.

    I’m so grateful to be getting to know you through your writings!

    • Wow, Shelby. I can only imagine how lonely it can feel when you are unable to get out and about and your friends don’t seem to remember you. I pray that you will find someone who sees and remembers you are, that you are included. I am will suffer the loneliness in solidarity with you.

  2. Colleen, my friend, love seeing you here at InCourage. And I so get your words. When I moved almost two years ago, one of my fears was leaving behind friends and worrying that I wouldn’t make new ones. We as sisters in Christ do indeed crace community. I would so come meet you if I could!

  3. I know that we would welcome each other onto our front porches. Enjoy glasses of wine but more than that exchange word libations! I’d like to be your friend – I spend a lot of time alone, and that is okay, but it is nice to call up a friend for a chatty supper in town or a cuppa at the coffee bar. You don’t have that privilege hidden in the mountains. I don’t even have Skype or a smartphone for a ‘vox’ but I have eyes to read you and a heart to love you. xoxo Guest post at (in)courage??? As Karrilee would say, “GAH!”

  4. I am an extreme introvert, so I get out of public interaction as much as I can, but I can so identify with the longing to connect with people. Beautiful piece as usual Colleen!

    • Thank you, Melissa. Yes, I think the longing for connection is universal. Our preferred methods may differ, but we all long to know we are worth someone’s time. Praying you find the connection you long for.

  5. I, too,am an extreme introvert and struggle with offering or accepting invitations. I took a bold step last spring with invitations of both kinds. No takers. People with families are not interested in people that don’t.

    • Melissa, I am so sorry your courageous invitation did not receive the response you needed. While i do not know the pain of being the one without a family, I do know the hurt of not being heard or included, and it is heavy. I am praying that you find a place where you are welcomed, where you know you are seen.

  6. Wow, Colleen. I don’t think I’ve read anything recently i could nod my head with every sentence.. Although I’m in a different season (with a seven month old for company) my husband is an introvert and would always question the reasons why many of my friends would actually come and visit (we live close to one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world). However, I’m still hoping they could read so much between the lines of the letters I’ve been sending home recently.. I’m also grateful for reminders that I’m not alone in feeling alone and should be reaching out even more to others… Thank you so much for writing this!

  7. Colleen,
    My husband and I are both introverts-although he more than I. I still long sometimes for companionship. I will call a friend and we can chat for a while and that helps. People are just so busy these days that we don’t take the time to connect and really see the person or read between the lines. Prayers for God to send everyone a couple of connections. People who can stop by and chat for a short while.
    Blessings 🙂