Vulnerable

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

1        I cried out to God for help;

    I cried out to God to hear me.

2        When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;

    at night I stretched out untiring hands,

    and I would not be comforted.

3        I remembered you, God, and I groaned;

    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.

4        You kept my eyes from closing;

    I was too troubled to speak.

5        I thought about the former days,

    the years of long ago;

6        I remembered my songs in the night.

    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

7        “Will the Lord reject forever?

    Will he never show his favor again?

8        Has his unfailing love vanished forever?

    Has his promise failed for all time?

9        Has God forgotten to be merciful?

    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

10      Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:

    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.

11      I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12      I will consider all your works

    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

13      Your ways, God, are holy.

    What god is as great as our God?

14      You are the God who performs miracles;

    you display your power among the peoples.

15      With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,

    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

16      The waters saw you, God,

    the waters saw you and writhed;

    the very depths were convulsed.

17      The clouds poured down water,

    the heavens resounded with thunder;

    your arrows flashed back and forth.

18      Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,

    your lightning lit up the world;

    the earth trembled and quaked.

19      Your path led through the sea,

    your way through the mighty waters,

    though your footprints were not seen.

20      You led your people like a flock

    by the hand of Moses and Aaron. (Psalm 77, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

It is not a sign of weakness to admit we are struggling, afraid, or in need of comfort, encouragement, and support. Unfortunately, many times we choose not to trust family and friends with the stark realities of life, and we do this believing we are saving them pain and worry. However, by choosing to shut people out, we actually cause pain, worry, anger, and mistrust. We also make it more difficult for God to share the love, support, comfort, and the assurance that God so desperately wants to share with us. Crying out to the one we trust to hear us, we anticipate that our prayer for help will produce relief and release from our dark moments.

The concern then becomes, What do we do when relief does not come? The psalmist faces the issue of unanswered prayer. He cries out to God in the day and the night. His soul receives no comfort.

How do we stand firm in our faith, believing that God is with us, reaching out to comfort, console, and sustain us? Sometimes it helps to stop and reflect on times in the past when we felt this way. In our remembering other stressful or difficult times we have the benefit of hindsight, and often in hindsight we see God's actions more clearly than we did in the moment.

We must ask ourselves: "How do I expect God will answer my prayer?" I often find the answer requires the hands, the words, the prayers, and the actions of others in my life. Through family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and even sometimes the stranger at the bookstore or café, God can and does come to my aid. However, for God to take action, I must be vulnerable enough to let people in.

PRAYER:

God of comfort and healing, give me hope in uncertain times. Help me reach out for the support and encouragement I need and strengthen me to trust you to be with me through the loving presence and actions of others.

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom, and I've recently found myself looking back on times of God's deliverance in my life. So many times I would hole up in my personal "prayer closet" and cry out for God's help, pleading for his grace to come and ease my distress. I would picture in my mind what his deliverance would look like, and I would eagerly expect him to come charging to my defense. But, oftentimes, it seemed like my prayer went unheard. I would wait and wait and wait. I would pray and pray and pray. But, it seemed like God was so slow to act. Until, that is, I would open up to a trusted friend or two. When the pain would get too intense for me to handle, I would invite a fellow companion or a group of trusted friends to step into my pain. Many times, this opening up process was quite uncomfortable or embarrassing. Sometimes this opening up involved confession of sins or fears. But, it always seems that when I would step out in vulnerability and authenticity, God would come through with the long-sought deliverance. I don't exactly know why God seems to move in and through our vulnerability. But, from my experience, it just seems that he does.