Listen:
“God, listen! Listen to my prayer,
listen to the pain in my cries.
Don’t turn your back on me
just when I need you so desperately.
Pay attention! This is a cry for help!
And hurry-this can’t wait!” (Psalm 102:1-2 The Message)
Reflect:
Our world is collectively groaning. We are fighting an invisible battle that no one has fought before and for which there is no clear way to win. There is so much that we grieve in the midst of the battle. We lament the loss of life and the loss of income. We mourn the loss of humanity while debates swirl around economy and the value of humans. The pressures of this world are exasperating mental illness and domestic abuse and people are suffering.
For some of us, the lament is more mundane. I miss activities that I enjoy and time with friends. I flounder to find a routine that keeps me productive and am deeply saddened by my extroverted child’s frustration with having to do kindergarten online without understanding why she can’t play with her friends. I hold the tension within me to fight for my rights with my willingness to uphold my responsibilities as a member of my community by looking out for the “least of these”.
As I meditate on Psalm 102 I am reassured that we can cry out for help when we are in pain. God sees our pain and he won’t dismiss our prayers. None of us know what the next couple of months or years will bring, but we can be assured that God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Prayer of Response:
“Dear Heavenly Father, you know exactly how we are struggling with our current circumstances. Thank you for the Psalms that remind us you welcome our prayers of sadness and lament. Hear, O Lord, the desperate cries of your people. Amen.”
Submitted by: Christa Eisbrenner
Christa has lived in a lot of places but somehow managed to end up close to where she started on the Canadian prairies. She is figuring out how to spend time with her community while physical distancing, in creative ways.
Leave a Reply