I recently had the privilege of attending the "Healing the Wounds of Trauma" Course led by the wonderful Nancy and David Writebol. We talked about so much in the week long course but something that really stuck out to me was the need for Lament.
To be honest, Lament has felt like a buzz word in Christian circles lately but I didn't fully understand what it meant or how to do it until this week. "In a lament, people pour out their complaints to God in an effort to persuade him to act on their behalf, all while stating their trust in Him (Psalm 62:8). (Healing the Wounds of Trauma 48)."
As I've boiled it down, the biggest shift between complaining and lament is who you are directing your words to... to neighbor, friend, spouse, self OR to God.
We looked at Psalm 13, one of David's many laments...
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Laments can have seven parts:
- Address to God ("O God")
- Review of God's Faithfulness in the past
- A complaint
- A confession of sin or claim of innocence
- A request for help
- God's response (often not stated)
- A vow to praise, statement of trust in God
Lament can have all of these or just a few of these parts but the one thing that is the same in every Lament is a complaint. They encouraged us to write our own lament and as I wrote my tears fell crying out to God. It honestly didn't change any of the situation or even my heart toward the situation - it allowed me to feel seen and heard by my Father.
If you have never written a Lament, I would encourage you to try it now! Whatever the situation you are in, take the time. It may not change the circumstance or even how you feel but it will draw in into intimacy with your Heavenly Father.
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