Tuesday Prayer for 11/5/13: Cutting Teeth

Tuesday Prayer for 11/5/13

Inspired by Psalm 145

Dear God:

These sounds of early morning teething and reading the Psalms seem to go together.  The sounds of wailing and gnashing of, well, gums seems to match the sorrow and the pain in these songs.  My son has not had pain quite like this before.  It is not something I know but something that there are only deep memories of.  When I hear him cry, it seems like this is a flaw in our creation.  Our bodies seem to rebel against themselves to do something normal.  It is bone slowly cutting through flesh.

And billions of people have all gone through this.  And millions of other parents are thinking similar things…

Now.

I was once told that you really can’t pray the Psalms until after you turn thirty.

The pain and reality you thought might be passing you begin to realize

is permanent

and real

and cumulative.

It takes awhile to really get 

Psalm weary and

Psalm angry and

Psalm tired and

Psalm frustrated.

It takes awhile to get

Psalm desperate.

“God fulfills the desire of all who fear God;

    God also hears their cry, and saves them.

God watches over all who love God,

    but will destroy all the wicked.”

These are strange prayers and I pray them.

These are strange songs and sing them.

I do not always believe in the kind of G-d that they call for but

There are days I pretend to and

On those days,

I am comforted.

Amen