Lament

Maybe it is Ok for "it" to not be Ok.

Maybe it's fine for life to suck.

Maybe it's Ok to be honest about it.

Just read the first chapter of Lamentations. Here are a few exerpts

"The Lord has rejected all the warriors in my midst; he has summoned an army against me to crush my young men. In his winepress the Lord has trampled Virgin Daughter Judah."

"See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed."

"People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my distress they rejoice at what you have done."

Lamentations is a book of lament. Mourning. Pain. Groaning. Distress. But most of all that first chapter breathes honesty into my heart.

How often do we have our cities crushed? How often do our dreams crumble? How often do our loved ones die?

How often do we tell people how we really feel?

How we are suffering?

It IS ok to be suffering. It IS ok to be in distress. What your heart feels should not be hidden or suppressed. We trap our emotions and feelings, and we are tormented by them from within. We long so desperately for somebody to care, somebody to come to our aide. Then somebody asks us, as they so often do, "how are you?" We smile and lie. Even in a situation when we know that that person truly cares, would really listen to all of your pain and sit with you like Job's friends sat with him. We smile and lie, because we believe that it is not Ok for it to not be Ok.

I am suffering. I am processing pain. I am being tormented. There are numerous things in my life that are not ok.

But that's ok.

Now I offer this thought, and do not be so naive to disagree with me. Nobody reading this is truly 100% OK. I believe that we are all suffering. I believe that we all are crying on the inside. I believe that if that mask were to be removed we would find pain. We would find unresolved conflict. We would find anger towards God.

So please, retreat to that safe environment and take off that mask. Remove that person that the world thinks you should be and cry show them who you really are. Take off your mask for God. Do not sugar coat your prayers. If you have doubt then tell God and those dear to you about your doubt.

It is Ok to not be Ok. It is fine for life to suck. And it's Ok to be honest.

In Christ,

Ben