In my early college days as an English major I remember well the lecture on the question: "Do all plots mirror Shakespeare?" I think the answer to that is that Shakespeare mirrored all playwrights before himself.
There are only so many plots, and I'm not just talking about Zombie movies or soap operas. No matter how the pig is dressed up, the human condition just hasn't changed that much. Please understand that I am not without a broken heart for children living with civil war, no water, Ebola, AIDS, no home, too little food. I am just saying that we are all struggling and at least that is a visceral, honest sort of horror with obvious needs like food and water. But each of us has challenges, terrors, anxiety, fears, tears and I believe that sometimes the less obvious the form of suffering the more debilitating it can be, the more overwhelming.
A friend from high school spoke of loosing both of his sons in a short period of time, one in an accident and one murdered. He said the pain was so great that sometimes all he could do was lay in the back yard and keep breathing. I suspect he went to work, ate, drank water; he may have even made it to church and survived funerals. But when he was not doing the minimum to exist he had not even the energy to sit and look at the evening sky. He could only lay down alone and weep and ache.
Eventually he was able to move forward, resume family relationships and be more focused on living than on wishing he could be released from the need to do so.
So if this is one of the "lay in the dark night alone and weep" times, remember this is not the end. It is simply a season for sorrow and you can freely embrace your sense of loss with confidence that it is not a forever feeling. If you are breathing, God has purpose for you and promises in Job 11:18 "You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take in safety." You will notice God did not say this would happen by next Tuesday at 10.
God has not abandoned you. Feeling sad is not a sin; it is a season. As you begin to raise your eyes you will not have to look for God because you will find God has been there all the time. But for now, grieve freely as you have need.
There are only so many plots, and I'm not just talking about Zombie movies or soap operas. No matter how the pig is dressed up, the human condition just hasn't changed that much. Please understand that I am not without a broken heart for children living with civil war, no water, Ebola, AIDS, no home, too little food. I am just saying that we are all struggling and at least that is a visceral, honest sort of horror with obvious needs like food and water. But each of us has challenges, terrors, anxiety, fears, tears and I believe that sometimes the less obvious the form of suffering the more debilitating it can be, the more overwhelming.
A friend from high school spoke of loosing both of his sons in a short period of time, one in an accident and one murdered. He said the pain was so great that sometimes all he could do was lay in the back yard and keep breathing. I suspect he went to work, ate, drank water; he may have even made it to church and survived funerals. But when he was not doing the minimum to exist he had not even the energy to sit and look at the evening sky. He could only lay down alone and weep and ache.
Eventually he was able to move forward, resume family relationships and be more focused on living than on wishing he could be released from the need to do so.
So if this is one of the "lay in the dark night alone and weep" times, remember this is not the end. It is simply a season for sorrow and you can freely embrace your sense of loss with confidence that it is not a forever feeling. If you are breathing, God has purpose for you and promises in Job 11:18 "You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take in safety." You will notice God did not say this would happen by next Tuesday at 10.
God has not abandoned you. Feeling sad is not a sin; it is a season. As you begin to raise your eyes you will not have to look for God because you will find God has been there all the time. But for now, grieve freely as you have need.
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