Many times in my life, I’ve come back to the promise in Jeremiah 29:11: ‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ This had been my favorite verse for some time. It helped me when…
God Wants Our Sad
I’ll bet you can remember some of the pivotal moments that taught you to fake fine to one degree or another. Maybe you grew up being told that boys don’t cry, so you stuffed your pain deep inside. Maybe you had all the right clothes and all the right friends and all the right grades,…
How to Make It Through the Holidays When You Don’t Feel Very Grateful
It’s that time of year again. Pumpkins are put away, Christmas décor in beginning to fill the stores, and there’s one more big Holiday to celebrate before the Christmas jingles hit the airwaves – Thanksgiving. As Christians we know we are supposed to “give thanks is all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and “give thanks to…
Reminding God to Remember
While God will never forget or abandon us, at times we will feel forgotten. It’s not that God is distant; it’s just that sometimes He feels distant. It’s not that God is preoccupied; it’s just that our struggles make us feel like we’re facing the world alone. What is amazing is that we are given…
Permission to Lament
When I first become a believer in Christ, I remember how intimidating it was to pray out loud. I would hear others pray and feel like my prayers weren’t as significant or powerful as theirs were. Some people even had prayers memorized and could recite them in a group. I felt embarrassed to not know…
Reclaiming the Lost Language of Lament
Spiritual maturity does not mean living a lament-less life; rather, it means we grow into becoming good lamenters and thus grow in our need for God. The songs of lament are the very songs we need for healing and wholeness, yet how many of us are singing them in our church services today? We often call…