The Lamb's Lament

     Lamentations is a difficult book of the Bible to read. Most of it is bad news, very bad news for Judah and Jerusalem. But it became easier for me to study this year when I found out that it was not just a collection of sad snapshots of the destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah organized his lament into acrostics of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and groups of 22 stanzas. Even the longest chapter, 3, is a multiple of 22, 66 verses. Jeremiah could not bring order out of the chaos in Jerusalem, but he could organize his thoughts about it. I like symmetry in poetry, so when one of the lesson questions asked us to write a prayer of suffering in acrostic form, I was ready to find a new way to express my grief. This does not reflect how I feel every day, but Jeremiah did not wrap a spiritual sounding sugarcoating around his sorrow, and neither will I.

All my life you have been faithful and kind to me, even in hardship,

But now, Lord, I am broken. You have taken away my

Child, my son. I know he lives in heaven, but this hurt is so

Deep, sometimes I cannot bear it.

Even the

Familiar comfort of your words, fail to lift the crushing

Grief I feel in my

Heart.

I love you and I know you love me. You gave

Jesus, your Son, to save mine. I know you

Keep him safe now from the sin that tried to destroy him. Your

Love surrounds him now, but I

Miss my son with a fierceness beyond words. Do

Not let it turn me away from you. You know

Our hearts are

Prone to stray.

Quiet my soul so that I can

Rest.

So many nights I struggle to sleep.

Turn my tears into prayers, and later, praise.

Until I see my son again, let your

Voice strengthen me to

Wait patiently. Help me be an

eXample of trust and faithfulness through the

Years to come. Let my

Zeal for heaven flow from love and not despair.

My heart is yours Lord, but it is broken.