May We Not Just Ache

abc7news.com

It's June—at last! This month we anticipate numerous celebrations including graduations, weddings, anniversaries, Father’s Day, the end of a school year, and hopefully, the arrival of sunshine. Joy!
 
At the same time, we lament a multitude of losses. Our hearts break over the deaths of little children in Texas, friends’ declining health, the passing of beloved family members, and war that extinguishes hope. And, we continue to feel the impact of a global pandemic. These are complicated and difficult days. We do not know what to do or how to help. Some days we feel utterly powerless.
 
In the wake of the Uvalde tragedy, poet Amanda Gorman penned a “Hymn for the Hurting”, It was published in the New York Times on May 27, 2022. She writes:
 

May we not just grieve, but give:
May we not just ache, but act;
…
Maybe everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed & strange.
But only when everything hurts
May everything change.*

Let our generation hear this plea to give, act, and change. May we RE-IGNITE our passion to serve. And, may our broken hearts spur us to love deeply and radically—at home and across the world. 

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 
--Psalm 30:5b  ESV

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
--Lamentations 3:22-23  ESV

We will not hide these truths from our children; 
we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
    about his power and his mighty wonders.
--Psalm  78:4 NLT

*Complete poem published in The New York TImes, May 27, 2022