July 29

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Last night I was awakened at 2:00 a.m. to the sounds of my son crying. This is not an unusual occurrence these days, with new molars cutting into young gums. When my son wakes up in the middle of the night, he is usually frightened, and, from his crying, one would think that he has not one friend in the world. But as soon as he hears his father’s or my voice calling out his name, he quiets and waits for us to come into his room, knowing that very soon we will pick him up and love him back to peaceful dreams. This reminds me of how we sometimes feel, abandoned and forsaken, and how generous and munificent a God we serve Who allows us the freedom to express to Him those deep sorrows. Even Christ on the cross, crying out to God with David’s Psalm, shows us that to our Father in heaven we can lay open our hurts and anticipate our healing, just as the young child waits to see his parent’s face after he calls out his name.

DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU FOR SHARING OUR SORROWS.THANK YOU FOR LOVING US BACK TO A PLACE OF PEACE WHEN WE ARE FRIGHTENED AND LONELY IN OUR WORLD. LORD, HELP US TO HEAR YOUR VOICE THAT WE MAY ANTICIPATE YOUR EMBRACE. IN CHRIST’S HOLY AND PRECIOUS NAME. AMEN.

– Shared by Charelle Webb