Psalm 80:1-7

“You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.” vs. 5

Occasionally we can get some pretty bad cases of the “blues” during this time of year. Even though holiday music is on the air all through the day and neighborhood decorations lighten the darkness, a kind of malaise comes to visit, and it’s hard to maintain the requisite seasonal cheery smile. Sometimes we just feel like crying! Often it’s triggered by thoughts of those who have died or the apparent dysfunction of our family, and sometimes it seems as though God has stopped paying any attention to our prayers. Those feelings are especially true if we’ve been raised in a religious environment where sadness, pain, and suffering are seen to be signs of doubt. There’s a message in such communities that if we are truly close to Jesus we will be in a perpetual state of joy and praise. Of course that’s simply not true. Those who are in Christ will experience the full range of human emotions, sometimes all in the course of a single day. And tears should be welcomed, even those that come in full measure and require a whole box of tissues. And when everyone else is out shouting “Merry Christmas” with fake smiles on their faces, our real sadness can be magnified. Be assured, we are not deserted by God in our pain–the Jesus who wept at the death of his friend weeps now with us!

Thought for the Day: When does blueness hit me?