Of all sorrow, secret sorrow has to be the heaviest. Grief that is hidden; wounds that are wept over in darkness. Sorrows that ebb from events that cannot be shared. It may be crushed dreams that are too precious to lay open before the world, or hidden hopes that have been snuffed out. It may be a betrayal that has left you too raw to even whisper the word “help.” Though these situations seem unique to us, the truth is we all have wounds we weep over in darkness. Wounds too fresh, too personal, too near our hearts. And these hidden wounds have the greatest sting because they must go unacknowledged by the world. They must go seemingly unsupported, unhealed and unattended. Perhaps not all to the same degree, but we all know what it is to ache internally and yet be forced to wear a smiling mask as we walk in the world. We go through the motions, we “buy and sell and get gain…” however, the internal conversation is a mixture of hopeless despair and confused anger. With no outlet the tension builds day by day. And there seems to be no relief in sight.
But will you let me draw near? Will you let me come alongside you in your hidden sorrow? There is no need to breathe a word of the secret, there is no need to pull back the cover of your heart. Let me simply offer your thirsty soul a little cup of hope. Let me take your hand and lead you to a God Who is called, “The God Who Sees.” This name of God is found in the book of Genesis, in the story of Hagar in her dealings with Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 16:1-16). Hagar’s life could be summed up by two words: vulnerable and used. She had very little power, very little control over her life’s circumstances, and she felt these facts very often. However, in one moment of desperation she fled from her world of injustice and collapsed alone in the wilderness. It was there that God visited her. It was there God comforted her. It was there Hagar realized that there is no such thing as hidden sorrow, as unseen injustice. There is no such thing as tears falling unnoticed. God is the “The God Who Sees.”
You are not alone in your sorrow. You do not ache in secret. There in the darkness, He is near. He is present. He is aware, and He is not indifferent to your pain. And what is more, though it may not appear true in the moment, He is at work. Do not fall prey to the illusion that because nothing is changing nothing is happening. God is at work. Oh my friend, trust Him, let your wounded soul rest in His care. Trust Him. There may come a time when He asks you to act, to speak, to move; but until then, rest in Him. Cherish the knowledge that He knows. Cling to the truth that though your pain is hidden from the world, He knows. He knows, and He is near.
“I would have fainted, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalms 27:13-14
For more hope and encouragement as you travel through the ups and downs of life follow me on Facebook at Colette the Victorious. https://m.facebook.com/Colette-the-Victorious-103414871575330/
Read my book Victorious: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey through the Valley of the Shadow to learn the paradoxical triumph that can be found through Christ alone. https://amzn.to/2LjZcYJ
