A Nurse’s Prayer of Lament

God, our hearts ache. And that’s on the good days. Then, there are those days when all we feel is anger. Anger covering the grief, frustration, and helplessness buried deep inside of us. Emotions that we cannot always name. Worst of all are the days when we cannot feel at all. A protective mechanism gone awry as it shuts off any emotion for us – both the positive and the negative emotions that are a part of our lives.

God, we need you. Hear our cries. Capture and remember our tears. Those we vocalize out loud and the silent screams we keep inside. Bind our hearts as they break again and again.

Heal us, God. We find ourselves a divided people – a divided profession. The system is broken…so very broken. We need strength. We need wisdom. We need compassion:  compassion for ourselves, compassion for those we work with, and compassion for those we provide care for.

And yet…through all the uncertainty and questions surrounding us, we acknowledge you as being the only thing that is certain in our lives. You do not change. You remain steadfast. You are our rock, our refuge.

You are present with us. You hear us. You know and understand the pain we feel. You see what we cannot see. You are our comforter.

Be with us during these days of transition. Help us to surrender all that we are to you. Help us to trust even when we can’t see the path ahead and the questions we have seem to far outnumber any answers. Keep us, God, rooted deeply in your love so that we may be salt and light to others. Remind us of the call you have placed on each of our lives.

We ask all this in your name.

Amen.

Christy Secor RN, DNP, CDWF, is NCF’s Professional Ministries Director. She’s prayed many prayers of lament these months--trusting hard, sometimes, painfully--and being comforted by God.

NCF members are invited to a Tabletop Discussion: The Spiritual Discipline of Lament – Drawing Closer to God Through the Difficulties We Face on December 13. NCF members must register for this free event. Not a member? Join NCF to participate! Students, you get a special rate.