Grief and Lament
Wednesday, March 31
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?” Psalm 22:1
I once visited a woman who had suffered with a lifelong, chronic
condition. I asked if I could read her scripture; she requested her favorite,
Psalm 22. “Don’t you mean Psalm 23, The Lord is My Shepherd?” She
assured me that Psalm 22 was her favorite. It brought her comfort and
strength to know that Jesus prayed this psalm on the cross. Knowing that
Jesus was with her in her suffering brought her peace. In our grief and
pain, sometimes we are not ready to hear a word of cheer. Instead, we
need someone to sit with us in our pain and tell us that God is present.
We may even need to cry out to God in frustration or anger. In Lent, we
are given the space to lament so that in God’s time we can find healing.
Comforting God, you see my pain. Let your Holy Spirit be a healing
balm for me and all those in need this Lenten season.
Pr. Jamie Brandt Brieske, Immanuel Lutheran Church