“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God... Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.” -Psalm‬ ‭42:5, 7‬ ‭‬‬

Deep calls to deep. Sometimes the waves of grief are so steep and crash hard, sometimes it's constant and sometimes it hits when we least expect it. But the Lord is with us in the depths and the heights. "Yet, his tender invitation is always there, a quiet whisper in that background of the hustle and noise, assuring us there is depth in all the places where we feel shallow. Deep calls to deep... Our depths cry out to him. We hesitate, fearing we need to clean up our lives before we are brilliant enough to enter into the splendor of the Almighty King... But when deep calls to deep, He isn't asking us to strive or find comfort in his strength only when we are whole. He's asking us to come as we are and bring everything we are in this moment, to draw peace from his deep gaze and find love in His never-ending well of love... His depth is in every moment. All we need to do is still our hearts one brief moment to feel Him and draw close to him. And as deep calls to deep and we call back, just as we are, we know all is well, for in His depth, we are home." -excerpt by Kylie Howell

The waves of grief hit me the other night, it was surely unexpected, but it hit me with weight that led me to collapse in tears. But in that, Jesus lifts our burdens and makes them light. There is healing in processing, in tears, in surrendering to Jesus. How fitting I was that I read a chapter from "You Are Free" this week all about being free to grieve. Open your heart to the Lord and don't be afraid to cry out. Let me know if you need prayer and I'd be happy to help lift up your burdens.

"Every time we express grief, we allow Jesus to absorb our pain. When we live out the freedom we have been given to grieve, Jesus takes our grief upon himself and replaces it with comfort. What a precious gift" -by Rebekah Lyons from "You Are Free"