PSALM 119:28 WEARY WITH SORROW

Weary With Sorrow

Have you ever been “laid low in the dust”?

Has your soul been “weary with sorrow”?

In God’s word you can find strength

And courage to face tomorrow.

“I am laid low in the dust; 

preserve my life according to your word.

Psalm 119:25 (NIV)

            I know what it is to be “weary with sorrow”.  The Amplified Bible describes it well, “My life dissolves and weeps itself away from heaviness.”  In August of 2000 the son God had blessed me with four years earlier, moved to another state to go to school.  That same month two beloved family friends died.  Later that month I had such severe chest pains the school nurse called the paramedics. In October, my daughter also finished high school and moved out of state. That month I moved in with my parents because my father had cancer. Daddy died in January 2001. Less than three weeks later Jim, who had been Dad’s friend since they were seven years old, passed away.  In March of that year my uncle suffered a head injury and was in a coma for over a month. That fall his 35-year-old daughter died of cirrhosis of the liver. At the same time his other daughter went to jail. In the span of two years I attended funerals or “viewings” of no fewer than 16 family members and close friends.  I had four sixth grade students threaten violence against other students in those same two years.

Yes, I found myself weeping often.  I recounted all this to God.  I chose to focus on the blessings he has given me and the wonders he has performed both historically and in my own life.  He strengthened me and set my heart free.  It is possible to be weeping in sorrow yet confidently singing “Like a child I will dance in Your presence. Oh, let the joy of heaven fall down on me” at the same time.

Amid all the sorrow and stress, God performed many miracles.  My uncle  regained his ability to walk, talk, eat, and live a fairly normal life.  His sense of humor remained intact in spite of his own sorrows.  My children are healthy, and Tom met and married a godly young woman. Even though I had not called the church, God sent one of my ministers into the hospital room just as Daddy was literally breathing his last breath. What a blessing he was to me and my family. Jim’s wife and my mother were been able to comfort and encourage each other.  The cousin with cirrhosis of the liver came to know the Lord before she died.  The family members and friends we “lost” are not lost at all because we are confident they are with the Lord.  No students were physically harmed after those four threats. 

God’s word is true.  He is in control, and he is my strength.