Soggy wetness fills these days. I wake to rain and fall asleep to more rain. Rain can be soothing, but it also reminds me of times I wept and when others continue to weep. Poet Ann Weems wrote the following psalm of lament after the death of her son. Her words, filled with honesty and heartache, offer healing hope for herself and others in times of grief.
Night after night I collect my tears and send them to you, O God. Night after night I come before you tear-stained. Have mercy on me. Hear my weeping and turn your heart to me. I weep for what was and will never be again. I weep for a future that is no longer possible. I weep because I love. Like a willow on the bank of a river, I’m bent from the weight of my tears. They flood my world, and there is no stopping their force. Save me, O God, from drowning! O God, have you covered your ears to my weeping? Have you covered your eyes so you won’t see me going under? Have you forgotten me night after night? Didn’t you hear your son weeping over Jerusalem? Didn’t you count his tears when Lazarus died? Didn’t you see how deeply moved he was when Mary wept? O God, acknowledge me, for night after night I collect my tears and send them to you. I trust in you, O God, for your hand can divide the waters, or gently wipe the tears of the grieving ones. I trust in you, O God, day after day.
From Psalm 121: I lift my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Bread for the Journey 