Prayer: Lament


But as for me, when they were sick,
    I wore sackcloth;
    I afflicted myself with fasting.
I prayed with head bowed on my bosom,
    as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;
I went about as one who laments for a mother,
    bowed down and in mourning.
But at my stumbling they gathered in glee,
    they gathered together against me;
ruffians whom I did not know
    tore at me without ceasing; ~ Psalm 35:13-15


Nothing heals us like letting people know our scariest parts. When people listen to you cry and lament, and look at you with love, it's like they are holding the baby of you. ~ Anne Lamott 
What's so powerful about the Psalms are, as well as their being gospel and songs of praise, they are also the blues. ~ Bono (U2)

Anger and deep grief can be debilitating. And while through confession and repentance we can ask God to help us release that anger, sometimes we need to first raise our fists in the air and shout to God of the unfairness of it all.

 Believe me, God can handle that.

 About twenty years ago I went through a series of medical crises that left me angry, bitter, deeply sad, and feeling completely alone. During this time, I let it seethe and simmer.

 When my mother can to visit, I finally dared to speak it aloud. "Mom. I hate God right now." Just saying the words made me feel terrible. How could I say that about God?

 I expected my mother to chastise me, but instead she looked at me lovingly and said. "Good. God can take that."

 God wanted my honesty, because then there was fertile ground for God to begin working in me for something else to happen.

 There's a whole book in the Bible called "Lamentations." There's a whole book about a man named Job who suffered unspeakable loss.

 And there's the man on the cross who asked, "My God, why have you forsaken me?"

 That which we lament can leave us feeling cut off from God, and often we feel pressured to get over it. To not complain. To not try to anger God.

 But God loves us even in our anger. God loves us deeply in our sorrow and our pain. To deny the reality of those feelings and feel like we must shield God from them, only serves to further wound us.

 When you need to raise your fist to God, know that God will reach out, hold it, and help open it to receive the healing promise of love.
Prayer: If there is something in your life that is causing you pain, whether anger, grief, or physical suffering, say it aloud to God. Ask for God to be present and walk with you through the valley of the shadow and lead you toward love and hope.





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