O Lord my God,
I feel lost in a wilderness of grief, wanting nothing more than to hold my beloved again.
Restore my trust in you, for the Lord is my shepherd.
Hold my emptiness in your everlasting arms; you know my every want and need.
My soul is wandering and restless.
The world around me has lost its color because my beloved has died.
Lord, make me to lie down in the green pastures of your promised eternal hope.
Wipe the tears from my eyes so that I may see the resilient colors
of your grace enfolding me.
My heart is disrupted by chaos.
Nothing makes sense anymore.
Lord, lead me beside your still and living waters.
Calm the chaos within me.
Restore my soul with the knowledge that nothing
will ever separate my family or me from your steadfast love.
My feet do not know the next steps to take.
I have lost my sense of direction.
Even simple decisions overwhelm me.
Lord, lead me in right paths for your name’s sake.
Show me what the next right step is.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil –
For you are with me.
You alone know my pain, for you experienced it with your Son.
Comfort me with the mystery of your grace in that old rugged cross.
As many gather with family and friends around tables of thanks this week,
I am trying to find gratitude in the midst of grief.
You prepare a table of your gracious provision before me
in the wilderness of human heartache.
Even as I see the empty chair
I remember you have provided support
through the encouraging words and prayers of family, friends, and strangers.
You reveal to me that I am not alone.
I give thanks for the gift of my beloved.
Your love, O Lord, has washed over our lives and claimed us
in a love that will never let us go.
Sustain my family and me with the cherished memories of our beloved,
that our cups might overflow with the joy that has filled our lives.
Fill my cup with the joy knowing that my beloved is now in your eternal presence,
healed and made whole.
On the days when my cup feels empty, fill my spirit and hold me together.
With each passing moment show me the way to lean into a deeper trust in you, O Lord
– that you, Lord God, are my strength and refuge.
Speak words of comfort to me,
that surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Amen.
written by Carson Overstreet, Nov 22, 2017
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