By: Liz Newman
Lord,
I come before you today broken-hearted and weary.
Alone and afraid, I weep in this valley,
And I need to feel you near me.
The pain darkens my eyes.
The grief weighs me down
With the heaviness of loss
I’m much too weak to carry on my own.
Yet, I know that you draw near
To the broken-hearted,
That you save the crushed in spirit.
That even here, you see me
And you weep with me and walk beside me.
Lord, hold on to me here
And guard my fragile heart.
Fill me with your peace and make
Your presence my refuge and safety.
Lord, I know that loving greatly
Leads to grieving greatly.
Please, stay beside me
In this grieving process.
Help me lament over
The brokenness of this world,
For we know it’s not supposed to be this way.
But help me also grieve with hope,
Knowing that you have overcome death
And that we have an Eternal Home
And joyful reunion awaiting us and our loved ones.
For you are somehow here with me
And there with my loved one
All at once,
And that thought encourages me
As I wait for all things to be made new.
Lord, when I don’t know
What to do, my eyes are on you.
In the days ahead, Lord,
Help me honor the person I’ve lost.
Help me find comfort knowing
That you are with me
As I process and
That even when I fall or falter
You pick me up and set my feet
On the steady ground of your grace.
I pray this in your Heavenly Name,
Amen.
Liz Newman is a poet and a blogger who writes primarily on faith, life, and grief. Her latest book, “I Look to the Mourning Sky”, seeks to walk alongside other hurting hearts in their grief journeys.