Jesus Understands Our Messy Lives… Hello Hump Day readers. The other night I was watching the news and almost choked on some new statistics about the stunning increase of young people who struggle alone with their fears and worries. It was an ‘unprecedented’ statistic because these statistics were usually for adults. The three reasons given for this change were, sadly, all about parenting! 1—absent parents; 2—working parents; 3—the highest statistic was unhealthy body/mind parents who are going through what their kids are going through. Let’s face it, young or old, worry and struggles can ruin a life and a family…or maybe not? Read on!

Alicia Bruxvoort writes for Proverbs 31 Ministries. She is a teacher and with her permission I share this short story of handling this issue with her students in the classroom…

“It’s OK if it’s messy,” I told my students as they opened their notebooks and began to write. Of course, they knew I wasn’t talking about their penmanship; I was talking about life. The teenagers in my classroom were more familiar with academic failure than success. And sadly, by the time we met, many of them had begun to believe their perceived deficiencies defined their worth. They often hid their ache beneath bravado or apathy, but behind those deft facades were wondrous and hurting humans longing to get rid of their worries and struggles. They wanted to be understood. Each week we shared deeply with one another, not about grades or striving for accolades, but I was seeing them discovering the joy of being known, and it was then they could be free of worry and have confidence in themselves even in their struggles.”

I think Alicia allowed her students to lament, which is something powerful for all of us when we are filled with worries and concerns. The “prayer of lament” is a gift from God who welcomes us to let it all out, no matter the subject. Outside of Jesus, no one in the Bible could top the lament of Jeremiah! It’s no wonder he wrote the book of Lamentations. In chapter 2:18 from the MSG, he says: “Give out heart-cries to the Master, dear repentant Zion. Let the tears roll like a river, day and night, and keep at it—no time-outs. Keep those tears flowing!”  The poetry from Mary Oliver came to my mind. Read her poem, I Worried and let it sink in…

I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn
as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?
Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?
Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows
can do it and I am, well,
hopeless.
Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,
am I going to get rheumatism,
lockjaw, dementia?
Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And gave it up. And took my old body
and went out into the morning,
and sang.

So, let’s remind ourselves that ‘lament’ is turning toward God instead of raging against God. It’s choosing authenticity over apathy and candor over pretense. Lament is processing our pain in the presence of God’s love. Jesus welcomes our words, even our angry ones. Our cries never repel Jesus; instead, they draw Jesus closer to us. In the presence of Jesus we are reminded of what is true about us: In Jesus, we are understood and fully known. And even when life feels messy, filled with worries and out of control, we do not struggle alone. What a gift even in our worries and struggles, right? So go outside and sing! AMEN.