A Short Reminder on Lament

Aloha Friends,

In our last email, I shared how I kept serving others after the hurricane while quietly carrying my own grief. When someone finally recognized that I needed help too, I wept.

That moment reminded me of a practice we need to make room for in our homes and churches: lament.

Lament is an honest conversation with God about what hurts. We see it throughout the Psalms. In Psalm 13, David asks how long his pain will last. He does not rush past the question or pretend everything is fine. He brings it to God.

Young people experience losses that adults can easily overlook: a friendship that ends, a parent who is absent, a betrayal, a dream that falls apart, or the feeling that they do not belong. If there is no room to grieve those losses, it can be tempting to escape into a screen, a relationship, or anything that brings quick relief.

We can show them another way.

This week, try writing a short lament together or on your own.

Begin with three sentences:

• God, this is what hurts…

• This is what I wish were different…

• This is what I need from You—and from people I trust…

There is no need to make the words sound spiritual. Tears, silence and unanswered questions are welcome. If a young person shares their lament with you, listen before offering an answer.

We do not have to feel better immediately for lament to matter.

Sometimes the first step toward healing is simply discovering that we can tell the truth about our pain and remain held in His love. You can view an interview we did with Sheryl Sarmento on grief from 2021 HERE.

May His Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.

With love,

Joshua and the Explicit Movement ʻOhana