“Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.” (Psalm‬ ‭28:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

“We grieve looking up.” The seasoned prayer warrior said it slow, making certain I’d heard it, making certain the truth had a chance to soak in. Her wise eyes shown with tears. These weren’t trite words offered without tremendous cost. The woman of prayer was well-familiar with sorrow. How could we know God’s heart without also knowing such sadness?

We grieve up. The psalmist said in more words; “I cry… as I lift my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.” It’s tough to lift hands up without also lifting heads. And eventually our hearts follow suit.

She went on. She shared briefly of her own lost babies, wayward children, both parents going home. This woman knew the inner folds of my wounded heart and she explained how all her hurt had sent her to her knees. Sent her to the throne room. Sent her hands in the air and her face thrust upward. She said if we grieve down, we get stuck. She implored; “though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death” We don’t stay there. We look up and we keep walking.

We grieve up and our tears run down and water our heart, making it good soil, a fine place for the Word to take root. We grieve up and we trust that God will order our steps and walk us right through that valley and into a wide open space again. Into a place where we will one day be a weathered warrior momma ourselves, offering hope and prayers for the next generation.

“My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.” (Psalm‬ ‭27:8‬ NIV)

“He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” (Psalm‬ ‭18:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Lord, today we look up. Give us strong necks and strong spirits to keep our eyes set high, even when we are sad. We realize it’s not wrong to grieve, it’s only wrong to get stuck and stay there. Help us remember; when we are faithful to look up, You are faithful to walk us through. We don’t have to live in the Valley of Death forever, we are merely passing through. You have designed and destined us for a better place if we’ll only keep our eyes lifted, looking for Your face. Even amidst sorrow, we see You, Lord. We are confident that You will never disappoint. Amen.