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Some people, however, are uncomfortable with grief. When we open our heart they change the subject, leave the room, turn on the TV—anything to avoid awkward displays of emotion. We live in a society that wrongly concludes it's best not to discuss loss and it's better for people to privately cry. However, we must find ways to express our sadness about what once was, is no longer, and will never be again. The Book of Psalms is God's gift to all who mourn. Psalmists often acknowledge the raw experiences of life. They cry out to the Lord, "How long?" (e.g., Psalm 6:3; 13:1–3); "Where is God?" (e.g., Psalm 42:3; 44:24; 79:10); "Why?" (e.g., Psalm 10:1; 22:1; 43:2; 74:1); "Are you asleep?" (e.g., Psalm 44:23); "Wake up!" (e.g., Psalm 35:23; 59:4); "Listen!" (e.g., Psalm 17:1; 27:7; 30:10). Psalms reject a fake and pretentious faith and affirm that suffering is real. These laments correct euphoric and celebra- tory notions of faith that romantically portray the Christian life as consisting of only sweetness and light. These biblical cries of anguish help us avoid a one- sided, happiness-only mind-set that fails to deal forth- rightly with life's tragedies. We never get past sorrow, but we can overcome it by going through it. How? Complain. Appeal. Remind. Express. Seek. • Complain to God. We need to be ourselves to succeed in any relationship. This means the cur- tain is pulled away, and the one hiding behind is exposed. "It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer." It's me! Honest expressions of fear and anger open the way for hope and healing. • Appeal to God's love. Appeal to His character. Trust His mercy and compassion in Jesus. • Remind God of His promises. "God, You said that You are faithful." "God, You said that You would answer my prayers." • Express trust in God's wisdom and the things you don't understand. Our Father in heaven knows best. • Seek help from a professional. Your pastor, a Christian counselor, or another health care pro- fessional will be able to assist you. We can be confident that a new day will dawn. "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5). When did God save His people from their long night in Egypt? In the morning (Exodus 14:24, 27). When does Psalm 46 say God delivers? In the morning (v. 5). When did Jesus rise again? In the morning. When does God deliver us from the long nights of life? According to Lamentations 3:23, His mercies are new every morning. What is the last name the Bible gives Jesus? The Bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16). Feelings of raw pain are like a river flowing from our heart. This river needs a "bank," so our feelings take on depth and direction. Apart from Jeremiah's laments—and others like them—we are left with our culture's shallow prescriptions for healing. But bib- lical cries and protests give us words and expressions that allow our brokenness to come before God's healing throne of grace. Go ahead. Weep. Acknowledge your pain. Refuse to fly over your sorrow. Also know this: joy will come because Christ's Good Friday lament turned into the Easter song of victory and resurrection.• R. Reed Lessing, Overcoming Life's Sorrows: Learning from Jeremiah (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2021), pp. 106–07. Read one of the Psalms of Lament listed in this article. Then, write your own psalm of lament to God. Pour out your anger and frustra- tion to God. Appeal to His love and remind Him of His promises. Continue reading this excerpt from Overcoming Life's Sorrows. Begin a journey alongside Jeremiah to see how he finds joy, truth, faith, and more by trusting in God. Find this title and others in this issue at cph.org. OVERCOMING LIFE'S SORROWS: LEARNING FROM JEREMIAH Lutheran Life 7

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