I am so glad my church did not shy away from us in our grief. Like the courageous firefighters who jumped into dangerous waters to search for my son, my church selflessly jumped into the whirling, battering waters of grief with us. 

The Church walks with people in all seasons of life—especially some of the lowest. How can you care for others and yourself as you minister to those experiencing physical or emotional trauma?

This article contains pieces of my laments from after my son died: anguish, guilt, doubt, fear, and learning to walk again.

I try to capture the experience of each affliction to help normalize the “crazy” you may be feeling. Then I try to help you with the harder part of lament—the part where you choose to trust.

How does grief impact an individual? How can we minister in and amongst deep tragedy in our churches?

Ministry certainly has its highs and lows, but there is something to treasure in every season.

We all have those days where nothing goes right. Or maybe even a whole year, right?

We know we want and need to cry out to the Lord, but how do we still honor the Lord and cry out to Him in an honest and true way? Thankfully, the psalmists have given us the answer through biblical lament. As we journey through lament, we can embrace thanksgiving—even in the midst of hardship.