Being real

There is a physical component to grief that makes me want to stay in bed or, at least, stay at home. It drains motivation and makes it hard to stay focused on even the simplest of tasks. It’s the side of grief that very few talk about because no one knows what to do with it, and yet it is so very real.

It’s one of the reasons that I love the Psalms so much because they speak to the real conditions of the heart and emotions, and they show a real God’s response. Consider this passage as a sample from the many that I could quote:

Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me? Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love. I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. Go away, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer. (Psalms‬ ‭6:2-4, 6-9‬ ‭NLT, emphasis mine)

David never felt that he couldn’t tell God (or those of us reading his prayer all these years later) what he was feeling and experiencing. He knew that His God was compassionate, a God who hears and heals (v. 2).

David knew that the only way to experience the realness of God was by being real with God. Look what happened when he did that: even in his weakened condition, his faith grew. He knew that God had heard him and that God would answer him.

Grief has a way of exhausting our strength, but it can’t exhaust God’s power. Our hearts can be shattered, and yet, when we bring ourselves to God honestly, our souls will be strengthened.

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