THE POWER OF LAMENTING AND WHY WE NEED TO DO IT, NOT AVOID IT

Episode 56: The Power of Lamenting and Why We Need to Do It, Not Avoid It Sometimes you wake up expecting to feel happy… and instead, there’s this heaviness you can’t quite explain. Have you ever experienced that? Well I did, and it happened to be on my birthday of all days. I wasn't sad for a particular reason. It wasn't about the number- although I'm shocked every time I say it because I don't feel even close to it- it was something deeper. Something heart level. I felt the invitation to lament which is something I think we're really quick to avoid for a couple reasons. One, it's not fun. It can feel uncomfortable even. Two, we're really quick to shame ourselves for feeling grief, especially when it pops out of nowhere. We're so quick to brush it off, get busy to distract it away, tell ourselves to 'buck up' or 'get over it already'. When, what's really necessary? Feeling it. Going THROUGH the pain and truly letting yourself lament. In this episode, I talk about what it looks like to truly surrender what you're carrying- to slow down and have an honest talk, maybe even an ugly cry, with God. There's a difference between prayer time and lamenting time. But we have a God who never changes, never fails, and already knows. What He wants is for you to give it all to Him, to bring the messy, hard, frustrating, sad stuff in your heart and give it to Him straight. This is a powerful practice and one worth allowing yourself to go through. I share how lamenting isn’t the same as staying stuck in grief and the important role grief plays in healing your heart. I also share the difference between condemnation and conviction. It's important to know because one pulls you down into shame while the other invites you to humility, repentance, and freedom. I share what happened when I finally stopped trying to hold it all together, let myself cry, and gave God what He wanted- my lament; real; raw; and honest. If this message speaks to you, I hope you’ll share it with a friend who needs permission to be honest, too. And I'd be honored if you would leave a 5-star review to help spread this message far and wide to more women who need it. As always be sure you're subscribed to the show so you don't miss an episode! PS. The BAD Mom Society is launching this month! It's a FREE group and we're kicking it off with our first call so reach out to me @thetheresatodd to get the link! Connect with me: Instagram: @thetheresatodd Facebook: @thetheresatodd Website: www.thetheresatodd.com