August 23
Luxury
and Loneliness
"Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a wise wife is from the LORD."
Proverbs 19:14 (NIrV)
Faye had always dreamed of a life of luxury. Coming from a small town and working long hours at the café, she had grown tired of the constant struggle to make ends meet. That’s when Richard entered her life—charming, wealthy, and willing to offer her everything she had ever wanted.
It started small. Dinner at fancy restaurants. Weekends away in lavish hotels. New clothes, jewelry, and shoes. Richard showered her with gifts, making her feel like she was living in a dream. But there was one condition: she had to leave her job at the café. At first, Faye hesitated. She had worked there for years, and though it wasn’t glamorous, it was hers. But Richard’s promises of a life without stress, without worry, eventually wore her down.
“You don’t need to work at that café anymore, Faye,” Richard told her one evening, after another extravagant dinner. “I can take care of you. You deserve more than that place. Just relax, and let me handle everything.”
Reluctantly, Faye agreed. The café job, the long hours, and the noise of the place faded away as she embraced this new life, one filled with expensive dinners and endless pampering. But as the weeks passed, Faye began to feel a weight in her heart that no amount of money could lift.
She missed the simple, honest work at the café—the regular customers who knew her by name, the small comforts of a job well done. And she missed her old friend Jane. They used to spend hours together, chatting between shifts or over drinks at the pub. Faye realized how much she missed those moments of true connection, the kind that didn’t come with a price tag.
Then there was Callum. He worked at the café, always cracking jokes and making her laugh, even on the toughest days. She hadn’t realized how much she’d enjoyed his company until it was gone. She wondered if he missed her too.
One evening, as Richard poured her another glass of wine at one of their regular, overpriced dinners, Faye’s thoughts drifted again to the café and the people she had left behind. She hadn’t realized how lonely she’d become until she looked at Richard and saw only a stranger in front of her. Sure, he could buy her anything she wanted, but he couldn’t fill the emptiness inside her.
“What’s wrong?” Richard asked, noticing the distant look on her face.
Faye hesitated. She wanted to say something, to confess that she missed her old life, but she didn’t know how to explain it. “I don’t know,” she murmured, swirling her glass. “I just feel... lost.”
Richard frowned, clearly not understanding. “You’ve got everything you could ever want, Faye. What more do you need?”
Faye opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. She didn’t know how to say it, didn’t know how to explain that she was craving something more than what he could offer her. She longed for purpose, for meaning beyond the shiny surface of her new life. But all she could do was sigh, resigning herself to the emptiness that continued to grow inside her.
As she lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, Faye prayed for the first time in ages. She didn’t know how to pray or even what to say, but she whispered a quiet, “God, help me. Show me what I need to do.”
The next morning, she woke up with a sense of clarity. It wasn’t about the luxury, the parties, or the things Richard could buy her. What she missed—what she truly needed—was a sense of belonging, of purpose, of real connection. She had traded it for money and comfort, and now she felt like she had nothing left that truly mattered.
With newfound resolve, Faye called the café. She asked if they needed help. The answer was yes.
When Richard came over that evening, she told him, “I’ve decided to go back to the café, Richard. I need to be around people who care, people who know me for more than just what I have.”
Richard’s face fell. “You can’t be serious,” he said, his voice cold. “You’ve already left that life behind. You don’t need to go back to that place.”
“I’m not going back for the job,” Faye said quietly. “I’m going back because it’s where I feel like myself. And I’ve realized that no amount of money can change that.”
Prayer:
Father, I come to You with all my fears and doubts.
I’ve been chasing after things that I thought would make me happy, but I still feel empty.
Show me what truly matters.
Help me trust that You will provide for me, not just in money and things, but in love, purpose, and peace.
Teach me to seek You, to pray without ceasing, and to believe that You hear me.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
