For Moms Who Feel Like They're Sinking. A Psalm of Praise and Reflection

There are times when no one really understands what we're going through. And in those times of struggle and heartache, it can feel so very lonely. It can feel like you're sinking. Like you're stuck in quick sand, the mire, and can't pull yourself out. ... But God can. He did for David, and in Psalm 40 we find the words to express the feelings of groaning and sunken despair as well as hope and praise for the new song God puts in our mouth. We often think the praise will come when we've been delivered from the trial, hardship, loss, overwhelm, burnout, stress, illness, injury, persecution, relationship strain, the list goes on and on. But actually we can choose to find and sing our new song while in our pit of despair, our dark night of the soul. In fact, it is often those very moments which are the environment in which the new song is revealed. AND when we can start singing our new song from the bottom of our dark well, it will start to lift us up toward the light at the end of the tunnel. As we journey toward the light, more verses are added to our song of praise and we can "spread Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear." - Elf. When we do, we need to be prepared to receive loud criticism while those who need to hear the song God gave us are silently soaking it in. Psalm 40 also provides comfort for those moments of criticism. The psalms are so wonderful because they capture so much of the complexity of human life and emotion and by the Holy Spirit's wisdom, they offer the solutions to them. So grab your Bible and open to Psalm 40 as we read together and apply it to everyday living.