A Lamentable Steam Room

Our church is entering into a season of lament, or rather, of learning to lament and practice lamenting well. We’ve gone through several psalms (6, 22) and will continue forward in that light for a time. 

It’s an interesting thing, learning to lament well. It pairs emotions, especially those that are confusing, challenging, and painful with faith and trust. 

Those things that often seem at odds with one another are reconciled together in the process of lament. 

Much like our prayers rise like incense, our tears rise like steam. 

I got this picture of a steam room. In order to create the steam, water needs to be poured onto hot rocks. Once contact is made, steam begins to form. 

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:2

The Lord is referred to as a rock in several instances in the Bible. To continue the steam room imagery, when we bring our tears to Christ, our solid rock, full of the warmth of grace and compassion, something new emerges. 

The combination of our belief in Christ with our tears produces something new - water in a new form. 

He provides living water after all. So if He is both our rock and gives us living water, it makes sense that He can turn our tears into something good. It makes the process of lament very worth it.

Now, can someone kindly point me to the nearest steam room?