Psalm 61-a reflection on Grief

                I have been thinking a lot about grief.  We experience grief at many points in our lives.  Sometimes we think of grief as only occurring when someone dies but there are many other points of times in life when we grieve.   We grieve the loss of a relationship.  We grieve the loss of a job.  We grieve the loss of expectations.  Grief takes many shapes and many forms.  When we are going through grief it is as if we are standing in the ocean and just when we think we have gotten up and are steady on our feet another wave comes and knocks our feet out from under us and we begin the struggle again to stand up and get our feet steady again. 

                It is very easy when the waves come and knock us down to just lay there in the grief and to isolate ourselves from everyone.  We might isolate ourselves from those who want to help, who want to be there with us in the pits.  More importantly how easy it is to turn away from God.  We may not do this consciously.  We may not say “okay God, I’m done with you.”  We may simply stop being aware of God’s presence.  We may simply stop finding time to be with God and commune with God.  We may stop spending time in the word and in prayer.  We decide we’re better off fighting the grief on our own.  We begin scheming and plotting ways to get out of the grief.  Friends this is so easy to let happen.  One day you become aware.  One day you realize, I’ve not talked to God in two weeks.  You look back, you reflect, and you realize it was when one of those waves knocked you down that you stopped talking to God. 

                Psalm 61 reminds us that it is God we must cry out to when our heart is weak.  If you are in the midst of grief and heartache, make this your prayer today:

God, listen to my cry;
    pay attention to my prayer!
² When my heart is weak,
    I cry out to you from the very ends of the earth.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I am
³     because you have been my refuge,
    a tower of strength in the face of the enemy.
⁴ Please let me live in your tent forever!
    Please let me take refuge
    in the shelter of your wings! Selah
⁵ Because you, God, have heard my promises;
    you’ve given me the same possession
    as those who honor your name.

⁶ Add days to the king’s life!
    Let his years extend for many generations!
⁷ Let him be enthroned forever before God!
    Make it so love and faithfulness watch over him!
⁸ Then I will sing praises to your name forever,
    and I will do what I promised every single day. (CEB)