I was listening to K-LOVE Christian radio this AM, as always, and a caller spoke to the morning DJ Amy to Thank her for her generosity. He had asked her some time ago to play a song that would help him and his family deal with the passing of his brother. She played Tauren Wells’ “When We Pray”. What he mostly heard was the word “Pray”. Everyone has pain. Everyone laments. Not everyone finds a way out from pain and grief. It calls to mind 2 things I read yesterday in a book my friend Rick M gifted me recently about lament. ( At the time, Rick had been undergoing multiple leg surgeries for what was ultimately a condition requiring a totally unanticipated bilateral amputation of both legs above the knee) : The first thing I read was a personal note enclosed with the book which read: “Hi Jim,- The pain is intractable as I write this. Thought you might like a copy as one who has known great grief. Rick.” So sensitive and mindful. He was referring to the loss of our daughter 8 years ago. The second a quote from the book: “….. lament is humbly turning to God through the pain. It takes faith to lay our painful questions before the Lord. Anyone can cry, but it takes faith to turn to God in lament.”

“Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings while the dawn of still dark.”- Unknown

(Book quote from “Dark Cloud, Deep Mercy. Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop”).