“Affliction is God striking us, but only as the goldsmith pounds the gold, or as the concert pianist hits the keys.”
“If the metal of a blacksmith being hammered into shape had the pain receptors that humans have, it would not be silent every time the powerful tool crushes it on the anvil. It would cry out every time. It would beg to be delivered. It would be confused. The fire would would have been an unendurable pain, and the hypothermia plunge into the cold water have nearly killed it, but it would still be worked over again by the powerful and knowing blows of the Craftsman. It may be too much right now to see the pattern you are being conformed to, but He always works by one.”
~quotes from my friend Roberta, approximately quoting her pastor Douglas Wilson; emphases mine
Psalm 139:13-17 “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!”
It is January 24th, and the annual Sunday set aside to mark “Sanctity of Life.” It was January 22nd, 1973, when Roe versus Wade changed American history. Changed it for the worse. What a tragedy! So this Sunday nearest the anniversary of Roe versus Wade is set aside (since its first Presidential Proclamation in 1984 – text) as a time to focus on the beauty, the miracle, the sanctity of life – of every life – no matter how small; and to pray for the nation to realize its folly, to repent of its murderous sin, and to embrace the lives God gives.
Pastor John Piper has a great-looking set of sermons from Sanctity of Life Sundays – take a listen, if you will.
Please beseech the Lord today with Christians around the nation, for the destruction of Planned Parenthood (and similar organizations), for the softening of hardened hearts & the opening of blinded eyes, and for the obliteration of gestational murder (otherwise commonly referred to softly as ‘abortion’).
Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Psalm 34:11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Matthew 11:25-26 Jesus declared, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will.”
“I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love,
because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the distress of my soul…”
>
This morning we heard another sermon about “joy during trial.” I can’t remember how many times in the last year we have heard sermons (or been sent links to sermons) on this very subject. Of course everyone thinks immediately of us, and how badly we must need to hear these sermons. I’ve been sent cards from loving people at our church following these sermons, where people express their gladness that we were able to hear a sermon about joy during adversity, and they hope it blessed & encouraged us.
That’s all very well and good. Except that I am continually left baffled by these sermons and a few distinct lackings.
For one thing, no one ever defines their terms. They throw around words like “joy,” “happy,” and “rejoice”—but they never define them. What do they really mean? Not just in our modern American understanding of the words—but what about in the biblical context? What do those words mean? And for another thing, they never describe what joy or rejoicing looks like amidst trial. I am convinced that it looks different than joy in times of obvious reprieve. But nobody ever touches that nuance. Why not?
The sermon text today was Hebrews 12:1-2 “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” The point was something to the effect of that we too have a joy set before us, like Christ did, so we should endure whatever crosses our sovereign God brings to us in light of future joys. He also cited 1 Peter 4:13 “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.” I believe that verse again emphasizes a future joy. We will rejoice and be glad when Christ’s glory is revealed, so therefore we may be thankful for that during our sharing of Christ’s suffering.
I have no grievance with the principle that we should endure trial and affliction in light of future joys, and acknowledging that we will rejoice when Christ’s glory is revealed. But I do have a qualm or two with how it played out.
For instance, when Jesus “endured the cross” and “despised the shame” while He was nailed there, naked and covered in the sins of the world and left by His Father to descend into Hades—was He smiling? Was He singing psalms of praise and adoration? Was He merry and laughing? No, on all accounts. If you remember, Jesus was naked and ashamed, bleeding, gasping for breath, crying, exclaiming out loud a psalm of desperation “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” before He cried His last. This psalm that Jesus cried out, Psalm 22, is a psalm of David when he felt utterly forsaken. Psalm 22:1-2, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.” On and on the psalmist goes throughout the psalm, his pain and anguish and desperation for rescue all very evident. Are David and Jesus obeying the command to “rejoice always”? The Lord instructs us, through the words of Paul, to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
So… back to my point. (What was my point?) 🙂
Joyfulness looks different in times of deep trial and utter anguish than in times of respite and peace. But nobody ever points that out in sermons. I sincerely wish they would.
And what about defining the terms? Well… in our modern culture, joy and happiness are quite often used synonymously. In fact, the dictionary definitions I looked up even showed “joy” and “happy” as synonyms: Joy—the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation; a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated; true happiness… Happy—delighted, pleased, or glad; characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy; favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky…
If looked at biblically and historically, however, I am fairly certain that we would find a better distinction between the terms. If I had access to my husband’s biblical study tools (or if he had time to look it up for me, maybe… hint, hint…), I could personally look up the original words in Hebrew and Greek to find their true meanings. I did find some links that did it for me! (see below) While happiness is largely circumstantial, joy stems from our relationship with Christ. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Happiness is not. If you’re interested in reading a site I found particularly helpful, you are welcome to click here. One portion from that page that I was particularly interested in said,
Biblical joy is inseparable from our relationship with God and springs from our knowledge and understanding of the purpose of life and the hope of living with God for eternity when there will be joy evermore. If God is actually present in our lives, the joy He experiences can begin in us (Psalm 16:11). Joy is the sign that life has found its purpose, its reason for being! This, too, is a revelation of God, for no one can come to Him and find the purpose of life unless He, by His Spirit, calls him and reveals it (John 6:44; I Corinthians 2:10).
[J]oy as a religious emotion is very frequently referred to in the Old Testament. Religion is conceived of as touching the deepest springs of emotion, including the feeling of exultant gladness which often finds outward expression in such actions as leaping, shouting, and singing. Joy is repeatedly shown to be the natural outcome of fellowship with God.
Paul speaks of joy as one of the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22) and of “joy in the Holy Spirit” as an essential mark of the kingdom of God (Rom 14:17). This joy is associated with faith (Phil 1:25), hope (Rom 5:2; 12:12), brotherly fellowship and sympathy (Rom 12:15; 2 Cor 7:13; Phil 2:1 f). To rejoice in the Lord is enjoined as a Christian duty (Phil 3:1; 4:4; compare 2:17 f; 1 Thess 5:16). In Christ, the Christian “rejoices with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet 1:8), in spite of his temporary afflictions (1 Pet 1:6). Christian joy is no mere gaiety that knows no gloom, but is the result of the triumph of faith over adverse and trying circumstances, which, instead of hindering, actually enhance it (Acts 5:41; Rom 5:3 f; Jas 1:2,12; 5:11; 1 Pet 4:13; compare Mt 5:11,12).
This is very clearly no mere happiness. This is different. It stems from something different, it feels different, it looks different.
How come this isn’t preached as a distinction? Joy in trial often isn’t defined or described. It’s just preached. It leaves the congregation wondering. Preachers often make it sound like they’re talking about being happy. Smiling. Laughing. Acting like there is no pain. It makes people in trial or anguish, those under affliction, feel like we should be skipping around with smiles and giggles, pretending that our hearts are not broken. Is that biblical truth? Absolutely not.
In my experience, I know the difference. I am frequently not happy. I doubt anyone could honestly (or biblically) hold that against me when I have had five of my six precious children die. I have sent five little redheads into the heavenly kingdom before my 26th birthday, and in only 2 ½ years of marriage. It is devastating. And it gets more tragic with each baby we bid farewell. Grief upon grief. So yes, I am often unhappy in trial.
But I can say with candor and truth that I am simultaneously joyful in trial. Because the joy of the Lord is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Because I have been baptized into Christ, I have put on Christ, and I am an heir according to the promise (Galatians 3:27-29). And because I do not grieve as one who has no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), but look forward to reuniting with my entire family someday when I too enter the Lord’s rest.
How is joy during trial evidenced in my own life?? We maintain fellowship with our Lord and Savior. We maintain fellowship with our brothers and sisters (although, yes, the fellowship may look different than usual). Our marriage grows stronger. Our love for Gabriel and passion for discipling him according to Scripture grows deeper. We learn new ways to minister to other suffering people. We better understand Job, David, Paul, and other biblical writers who endured great suffering. etc…
Romans 5:3-5 “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
I think Romans 5 tells us what “joy in trial” should look like. It doesn’t involve skipping. And it doesn’t necessarily involve lollipops, smiles, or giddy games. It does involve endurance, character, hope, and growth in love.
So those are my thoughts. A few of them anyway. Enough for tonight.
We just watched Julie & Julia. I love this movie. I think I might watch it again this afternoon.
Usually when I am grieving and/or depressed, I can hardly eat. But this week I am so hungry. So “I-am-pregnantly-hungry” hungry. Know why? Cuz my body still thinks it should be acting pregnant, doggone it. Siiiigh.
Most women cook freezer meals during their third trimester, to stock up for when they give birth. Me? Umm, I start cooking freezer meals as soon as I get a positive pregnancy test, to stock up for when I miscarry. Yeah. I know. I wish I didn’t have to be so dang smart.
My incredible sister in law brought dinner over. Enough for like three dinners. And then her lovely mother brought dinner over. Again, enough for multiple meals. And Steven made dinner last night. And some dear friends left two plates of perfectly baked (almost-raw-in-the-middle) chocolate chip cookies on our doorstep yesterday.
Food.
I should be able to handle food, right? No. I can’t.
I mentioned yesterday to a friend (another mommy to heaven babies) that I am not coping well and am starting to feel guilty for it. But she said the words that I so badly needed to hear: “You don’t have to cope. You have to grieve.“
Thank God. Because all I can do is grieve right now.
Food? Laundry? Diapers? Bills? Ummm, you’re on hold. I’ll get to you, uhhh, someday. I hope….
Psalm 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till He has mercy upon us.
Please beseech the Lord with us for His grace and mercy, and look to Him with us in our time of need. We found out that our dear little Baby Six has joined our babies in heaven.
Psalm 119:28 My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word!
Please pray for the Lord to strengthen us, even in the midst of overwhelming sorrow.
Please rejoice with us in this bittersweet time that God’s covenantal promises are for us and for our children, and that we do not grieve as those who have no hope. We will meet our children in the heavenly gates someday! How my heart longs for that moment. I am so eager to worship alongside these five little redheads who my arms so ache to hold.
Please, also, pray that my body would realize that the baby has died, so that I do not continue with pregnancy symptoms and growth, and would not need medical intervention. If there is one thing that compounds the grief of a bereaved mother, it is when such things become medicalized & sterile.
Once the baby has been delivered (we are praying the Lord mercifully allows this sooner than later), I will update with the baby’s name and birthdate and Bible verses.
Thank you, and peace be with you.
Daniel 9:18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations… For we do not present our pleas before You because of our righteousness, but because of Your great mercy.
Happy Christmas Eve, my friends!! As we’d say when I was little, “only one more sleep until Christmas!” I hope your preparations are joyful and your festivities are blessed. The Lord be with you, and may He give you great joy!
From Heaven above to earth I come, To bear good news to every home; Glad tidings of great joy I bring, Whereof I now will say and sing.
To you, this night, is born a Child Of Mary, chosen mother mild; This tender Child of lowly birth, Shall be the joy of all your earth.
’Tis Christ our God, who far on high Had heard your sad and bitter cry; Himself will your Salvation be, Himself from sin will make you free.
He brings those blessings long ago Prepared by God for all below; That in His heavenly kingdom blest You may with us forever rest.
These are the tokens ye shall mark, The swaddling clothes and manger dark; There shall ye find the young Child laid, By Whom the heavens and earth were made.
Now let us all, with gladsome cheer, Follow the shepherds, and draw near To see this wondrous Gift of God, Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.
Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes! What is it in yon manger lies? Who is this Child, so young and fair? The blessèd Christ Child lieth there!
Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest, Through Whom e’en wicked men are blest! Thou com’st to share our misery, What can we render, Lord, to Thee!
Ah, Lord, who hast created all, How hast Thou made Thee weak and small, To lie upon the coarse dry grass, The food of humble ox and ass.
Were earth a thousand times as fair, Beset with gold and jewels rare, She yet were far too poor to be A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.
For velvets soft and silken stuff Thou hast but hay and straw so rough, Whereon Thou King, so rich and great, As ’twere Thy heaven, art throned in state.
Thus hath it pleased Thee to make plain The truth to us, poor fools and vain, That this world’s honor, wealth and might Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled, Here in my poor heart’s inmost shrine, That I may evermore be Thine.
My heart for very joy doth leap, My lips no more can silence keep, I too must sing, with joyful tongue, That sweetest ancient cradle song.
Glory to God in highest Heaven, Who unto man His Son hath given, While angels sing, with pious mirth, A glad New Year to all the earth.
~Martin Luther
I don’t know if any of you do much blog-hopping – I do. Especially to blogs of mommies who have lost children – through miscarriage, stillbirth, or later deaths. It simultaneously makes my heart ache and encourages me. I am not alone. I am not weird. My heart is doing what it should do – no matter what anyone may tell me about getting over it, moving on, or being ‘happy’ regardless of circumstances.
So anyway…
Yesterday I went to one of my favorites. And she had a post about True Joy. This is coming from a young woman whose only child, a precious & beautiful 11 month old girl, died last February. She is expecting another baby any day. And you can try to imagine the mix of emotions they are enduring this Christmas season. I must admit that I don’t have to imagine very hard – I know all too well that line between grief & hope.
She refers to the One Year Book of Hope I have recommended, too. And I hope it will bless you to read what she says, and quotes from that book. I know it blessed me.
Regardless of our state of happiness this Christmas, even WE CAN BE JOYFUL. So without further ado, here is what Jess wrote (in case you’re afraid to click on links)….
“The truth is, it is possible to be filled with joy and still not be described as “happy.” Sometimes we’re just plain sad, not only down in our hearts, but down to our toes…
…The Bible says, “A joyful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22, NASB). As we savor the joy we have in Christ, we feel the healing power of that medicine. In fact, our joy should be as consistent as God is. It doesn’t have to be tied to the turbulent conditions of our feelings and moods. Our joy is grounded in God. It flows from him and back to him. Joy is not something we can generate with positive thinking or a bit of humor. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in our inner lives. Joy shines forth from the life of the true believer, no matter how dark the circumstances. Joy in God deserves our constant, courageous pursuit.” -Nancy Guthrie
How reassuring is it to know that our joy isn’t tied to the sometimes turbulent conditions around us?
It isn’t tied to how sad I am feeling as we prepare to celebrate this first Christmas without Cora. It isn’t tied to how my heart hurts when I see all these happy Christmas cards and realize again that there will be no family pictures with Cora this year. It isn’t tied to how sad I am that Cora won’t be here to welcome her new brother or sister with us. It isn’t even tied to how much love we will feel when we meet Baby Mac any day now. True joy does not necessarily equal happiness.
My joy is grounded in Christ. And I can experience deep joy, even in the midst of sorrow, because my hope is in Christ. That doesn’t mean we won’t have any tears or sadness. But, I pray that this true joy is what others see shining from my life and family, even during this first Christmas without Cora.
I have a new diagnosis – I have a somewhat rare autoimmune disorder that gives my babies only an 8% chance of survival without treatment. Thus, I have new treatment – it’s called IVIg, where my blood gets infused via i.v. with a medicine made from about 1000 people’s plasma. This monthly (or so) treatment should give our babies at least a 50% chance to survive. And also, my womb has a new tenant – Baby Six has slipped in as secretly and quietly as Peace slipped out. Praise be to the Lord, who does all things well!
Please uphold us in prayer. We are still in grief, and trying to plow in hope. These next few days and weeks are very tentative and scary. May God have mercy upon our family, and preserve Baby Six for life in the Kingdom on earth. And may He use His gift of medical advances to enable my womb to care for this (and future) baby(ies).
A month ago today my world crushed and fell ~ again. A month ago today my youngest child flew to Paradise. A month ago today my hope was crushed. A month ago today my faith was shaken. A month ago today my womb became empty again. A month ago today our future became uncertain. A month ago today the sackcloth was brought out. A month ago today we donned our grief. A month ago today the weeping gates flew open.
Today I am still weeping. Today I am asking, why? Today I am so lonely. Today my hope and faith are trying. Today my womb itself is crying out. Today I feel isolated, alone. Today I feel ashamed, humiliated. Today my arms ache for the children I can never hold. Today my breasts ache to nurture and overflow. Today I wonder what God is doing. Today I just can’t see. Today my heart is breaking ~ again.
Here are some pictures of some of our tangible memories (the arrow and the necklace). We also have Peace’s beautiful little handmade-by-Grandpapa box, which sits in our too-crammed china cabinet cupboard with Covenant’s, Glory’s, and Promise’s. We’ve never buried them. I prefer to see them, and feel like my olive plants are still circling our table.
“Held” ~ by Natalie Grant
Two months is too little They let him go They had no sudden healing To think that providence Would take a child from his mother While she prays, is appalling Who told us we’d be rescued What has changed and Why should we be saved from nightmares We’re asking why this happens to us Who have died to live, it’s unfair
This is what it means to be held How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life And you survive This is what it is to be loved and to know That the promise was when everything fell We’d be held
This hand is bitterness We want to taste it and Let the hatred numb our sorrows The wise hand opens slowly To lilies of the valley and tomorrow
This is what it means to be held How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life And you survive This is what it is to be loved and to know That the promise was when everything fell We’d be held
If hope is born of suffering If this is only the beginning Can we not wait, for one hour Watching for our savior
This is what it means to be held How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life And you survive This is what it is to be loved and to know That the promise was when everything fell We’d be held We’d be held
This is what it is to be loved and to know That the promise was when everything fell We’d be held
This is what it means to be held…..
Tears for Peace ~ by Mommy
Teardrops fell when I learned you were growing inside, Teardrops fell when I first saw you -so little- on the screen, Teardrops fell when your heart beat in beautiful rhythms, Teardrops fell when you were delivered into my bloody hand.
Teardrops fall because I love you so incredibly much. Teardrops fall because you are gone from our home and our arms. Teardrops fall because your brother is lonely. Teardrops fall because Mommy and Daddy miss you so extremely. Teardrops fall because you are our precious, beloved baby ~ but you are so far away.
Each day I feel farther away from you, Farther from holding you in my belly~ It burns me from the inside out. But each day I am closer to you, Closer to when I can join you in Paradise And enjoy an eternity together without tears.
No matter where I go, No matter what I do, I miss you every single moment~ Heartache and emptiness and tears.
My love for you remains, It always and forever will. My sweet baby Peace, We will meet again. With tears of joy instead of pain.
Do not judge the bereaved mother. She comes in many forms. She is breathing, but she is dying. She may look young, but inside she has become ancient. She smiles, but her heart sobs. She walks, she talks, she cooks, she cleans, she works, she IS but she IS NOT all at once. She is here, but part of her is elsewhere for eternity. A child that loses a parent is an orphan. A husband that loses his wife is a widower. A wife who loses her husband is a widow. However, there is no word for a parent that loses a child. For there is no word to describe such pain.
I casually ordered a book online recently — it was one of those times on amazon.com when I wasn’t quite at the $25 mark, and wanted to reach it in order to have free shipping. Anyway… so I (almost haphazardly) added one more book to my cart before checking out. It was this book.
The One Year Book of Hope by Nancy Guthrie
It’s been sitting on my desk for a few days now, and I was considering saving it for January, when I could actually use it as a daily read for 2010; you know, since it’s organized into a “one year” format. But today I decided that I needed to crack open its cover. Today I needed to know that hope still exists. Because some moments, I just don’t see it.
On one of the first pages, there is simply this quote:
Comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not et either comfort or truth– only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Then I read the “Acknowledgments” page — that’s when the tears began. I took off my glasses, wiped my cheeks with my sleeve, took a sip of tea, and turned the page.
Two sentences into the “Introduction,” I lost it again. Something about the phrase “loss that changed everything about your life in an instant” hit me hard. She gets it. The author gets it. It isn’t just one thing in my life. It’s one thing in my life that suddenly, instantaneously changed everything. She goes on, and another phrase pinpointed reality for me when she mentioned “all the questions that taunt us in the midst of tears and keep us awake in the night.” I’m not sure which is worse — that scenario or the nightmares when I do sleep. But either way, she gets it.
The author shares the story of losing their baby girl due to Zellweger Syndrome. She says, “Though we had shed our share of tears during her life, and while I was hopeful that those tears would lighten my load of grief after her death, it didn’t seem to work that way.” During Peace’s life, I hoped it would work that way too. But nope, it didn’t. She goes on, “It seems to me that most losses aren’t just one loss, but a series of losses. For a while I grieved Hope [her daughter]‘s death. Then I grieved her limited life. Then I grieved our loss of potential.” A series of losses. Oh God, how true.
Later in the “Introduction,” the author explains something her sister-in-law shared with her. When asking how you can get through and deal with the death of such a dearly loved one, her sister-in-law said “‘Manna.’ She explained that just as the children of Israel were dependent on God to provide manna to sustain them every day while they wandered in the wilderness, I had to depend on God to give me the manna I needed every day to sustain me as I grieved my loss… Every day.“
Wow. Stop crying. Wipe those tears, Melissa, you’ve gotta keep reading. Look at the next page.
“Processing pain and embracing its lessons are daily endeavors. Every day we need a little more light to illumine our darkness.” Oh praise God, I am not alone. Manna.
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First lesson, focusing on Psalm 119:28-30. I weep with grief; encourage me by Your Word… Good sentences: “When we are hurting, it seems like everyone wants to fix us… Well-meaning friends and family tell us what to do and how to feel, only adding to our confusion.” “Oh, the painful thoughts that go through our heads when the hurt is deep!” “God’s Word speaks the truth we are desperate for, even as we weep with grief.” “Honestly, I resent it when someone seems to pat me on the head with a Bible verse in a way that seems to devalue my genuine hurt and dismiss my deep questions.” “The truth is what we need most when the hurt is the deepest.” The exercise at the end was reading Psalm 119, and writing down what the psalmist asks God for that I also want to ask of God.
Second lesson, focusing on Psalm 56:8. All my sorrows… All my tears… Each one… Good sentences: “I used to rarely cry, but now tears are always close to the surface, just waiting to be released. It is as if there is a broken place inside me where tears are stored. Letting them out has been the only way to release the pressure of the pain.” “Some see tears not only as a loss of control but also as a lack of faith. It is as if the physical manifestation of tears gives evidence of a spiritual deficiency–that if our faith was big enough… we simply wouldn’t be this sad.” “It is as if we think our grasp of spiritual realities can erase the hurts of being human.” “God does not discount or dismiss your tears.” “He wipes them away.” (Isaiah 25:8) “And Revelation 21:4 tells us that not only will He wipe away tears, He will remove all of the sorrow that caused them.” The exercise at the end was reading Psalm 56, and writing a list of what David determined to do despite & through his tears.
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So that’s my new book. It’s my new lifeline, I think, really. I made it through the first two devotional pages/meditations. The pages are already getting dimpled with salty tears, and covered in blue ink from my ready pen.
If you know someone who is grieving — I think I can safely say (although officially only on page 3), that you need to give them this book. Pray that God would use this book in my life, that He would renew my hope, and that I would have the courage to continue reading.
