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Lament helps us hear God's louder song.
When you're in the midst of suffering, you want answers for the unanswerable, resolutions to the unresolvable. You want to tie up pain in a pretty little package and hide it under the bed, taking it out only when you feel strong enough to face it. But grief won't be contained. Grief disobeys. Grief explodes. In one breath, you may be able to say that God's got this and all will be well. In the next, you might descend into fatalism. No pretending. Here, you are raw before God, an open wound.
There is a pathway through this suffering. It's not easy, but God will use it to lead you toward healing. This path is called lament. Lament leads us between the Already and the Not Yet. Lament minds the gap between current hopelessness and coming hope. Lament anticipates new creation but also acknowledges the painful reality of now. Lament recognizes the existence of evil and suffering-without any sugarcoating-while simultaneously declaring that suffering will not have the final say.
In the midst of your darkest times, you will discover that lament leads you back to a place of hope-not because lamenting does anything magical, but because God sings a louder song than suffering ever could, a song of renewal and restoration.
When you're in the midst of suffering, you want answers for the unanswerable, resolutions to the unresolvable. You want to tie up pain in a pretty little package and hide it under the bed, taking it out only when you feel strong enough to face it. But grief won't be contained. Grief disobeys. Grief explodes. In one breath, you may be able to say that God's got this and all will be well. In the next, you might descend into fatalism. No pretending. Here, you are raw before God, an open wound.
There is a pathway through this suffering. It's not easy, but God will use it to lead you toward healing. This path is called lament. Lament leads us between the Already and the Not Yet. Lament minds the gap between current hopelessness and coming hope. Lament anticipates new creation but also acknowledges the painful reality of now. Lament recognizes the existence of evil and suffering-without any sugarcoating-while simultaneously declaring that suffering will not have the final say.
In the midst of your darkest times, you will discover that lament leads you back to a place of hope-not because lamenting does anything magical, but because God sings a louder song than suffering ever could, a song of renewal and restoration.
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Reviews
"Aubrey Sampson is a fresh voice when your broken heart needs a fresh wind. Lean into these pages and you'll hear the beauty of the Louder Song-that your soul is desperately longing to hear."
Ann Voskamp, NYT bestselling author of The Broken Way
"There's no denying we live in a fallen, broken, and sinful world-a world of pain-where suffering is a reality for all of us at various levels. Aubrey Sampson peels away the layers of pretense that often masquerade as outward strength or valor as she unpacks an expressive theology of lament. Anchored by her own faith journey and experience of personal loss and suffering, Aubrey encourages authenticity and fosters hope for those who are in the midst of pain and suffering. I am confident this book will be of great encouragement to you as you reflect on the experiences of lament in a world of suffering."
Ed Stetzer, PhD, executive director of the Billy Graham Center
"If you want permission to ask God the hard questions about suffering, Sampson extends an embossed invitation. Here she offers a highly accessible tour of the lost art of biblical lament, teaching along the way with utmost pastoral care-and with just enough vulnerability to persuade hurting readers that their guide is trustworthy. One certain outcome: You will never look at snow globes the same way again."
Andy Olsen, managing editor of Christianity Today