October 5, 2021
Tuesday’s Thoughts on Scripture comes from Psalm 13:1: How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (NRSV)
In preparing weeks ago for our Intern, Sara, to preach this coming Sunday, we talked about a desire to focus on healing. Yes, this is for a class she is taking in seminary and the readings she has chosen (i.e. the above) allow for lament and healing. But what we did not do was make the connection that October 10 is Mental Health Day, a time to focus on mental health awareness. That is simply a God thing, I believe.
I say that because I think mental health often means recognizing the need to voice what is going on deep inside us, sometimes only to God. The Psalms give us words for lament, ways to verbalize to God our deep upset, grief, or fear, and even to ask God how long our pain might last. To cry out to God to remember us and turn God’s face to us so that perhaps our pain might lessen or even go away. Because, yes, it seems that in the midst of pain, God must have forgotten us.
However, the opposite is most definitely the truth. God does not ever forget us or abandon us. God is ALWAYS with us. No matter whether we “feel” God or not, God is always there. So I pray: give us faith, oh God, to trust your presence and care, so that our physical, mental and spiritual health might always be found in you. Amen.
Blessings. And prayers.
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