A Prayer of Awareness – “It Is Well” Because of this Grief

LORD,

Grace enfolds my heart to say this to you in response to the grace you speak from eternity into my heart.

I am lost without you, in this grief,
yet in this grief,
there with you am I found.

I contend with that thought, as I bring this prayer of awareness to you, to you my holy Provider and Redeemer, that it’s my grief that has connected me unassailably to you. You have me and I’ve found you’re not letting go. Such safety and reassurance, even if out of loss.

You do not let go, Lord.
Lord, you do not let go.

Through all the blazes of life, the torment and fury of the moments perplexing, the times jaded of silence not knowing what to do other than to give in to anxiety, you’re there! You’re there. And you’re there to remind me this grating grief has its purpose in you. In you, this loss has purpose. In you, this grief has meaning. Purpose and meaning unplumbed in all eternity.

It is well.
It is well because loss brought me to you.
It is well because grief brought me to knock at your doorstep.
It is well because you opened that door and invited me inward.
It is well because when I went inward I found you there.
It is well because you are real in this madness.
It is well.

I searched the entire earth for happiness and could not find it until I lost all hope of it. I went to every corner of this existence and found the land was barren without you. I traipsed everywhere in my spirit only to find my spirit bereft without yours.

In losing everything that meant everything to me over the whole earth I found that which the earth could never take from me — you, my Lord.

You are the reason it is well in all triumph of iniquity. In all wickedness over the lands of experience you have a final and most trustworthy word. In this sinful world that grieves us daily you are holiness that makes all grief pale into glory. Your Jesus showed us, eternally; his cross and resurrection.

You burrow down to scoop me up in my unrelenting grief and the deeper I plunge the deeper your Spirit dives down to recollect me. Even at the abyss there’s a look, a touch, a feel, a taste of you, that reminds me afresh, it is well.

It is well, my soul, it is well, even here, for you,

For God, who is worthy, is here with you to stay,

So my soul, don’t panic, just trust, he will not delay,

He who keeps you safe will hold you ever true.

© 2015 Steve Wickham.