Lamenting...

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; God's mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23

I was blessed to spend this past weekend up in the Sawtooth mountains at a women's retreat. It was a lovely combination of learning, quiet time, prayer, and recalling the times in our lives when we have lamented. How do we deal with the times of lament we all face? Life can be so difficult and it's inevitable that we will struggle with the storms of life. One thing I learned is that we can feel free to cry out to God, honestly and heartily. That's relationship, and God wants to be in relationship with us. It's true that God's love and mercy are always waiting for us. I also believe that when we're hurting, God hurts with us. God, certainly, hasn't caused the pain and sorrow in our lives, but God suffers with us. Read Matthew's account of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46) and see that Jesus lamented too. There's no way we can escape lament-worthy events in our lives, but there is hope in the steadfast love of God. As long as we cling to that, there is a new dawn on the horizon. Today, let's pray especially for those who are experiencing lamentful times in their lives. Can we be a comforting presence for them? Can we lift them up to God? I am again reminded of my lady on the bus last week, who got such disturbing news while en route somewhere. Prayers for all who are struggling this day. Love, heidi