Today’s Reading: Habakkuk ; 2 Corinthians 7
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
and you will not save?
3 Why do you make me see iniquity,
and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
4 So the law is paralyzed,
and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
so justice goes forth perverted.
The Lord‘s Answer
5 “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded.For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.
Habakkuk : 1:2-5
There are so many feelings and emotions that we have as humans: joy, sadness, anger, disgust, happiness, sorrow, frustration, sadness, and loneliness. One of the hardest and most difficult feelings that I have and has had is loneliness.
When you are lonely, you feel isolated. You feel deserted. You feel separated for everything. The readings from this week echo this loneliness so well. The whole book of Habakkuk is a questioning of God in loneliness. He is screaming his loneliness. He is screaming his distraught. He is witnessing so many things that are going on in the world that he cannot really understand why it is happening.
In each of the responses God is teaching and speaking back. The name Habakkuk in Hebrew is Chavaqqquq which translate into “Embrace.” At the end of book of Habakkuk, there is a song that is recorded. The time from the beginning enough back to the end of the back is not known but can be over several years. But we can see in the transition that God answers.
We are all going through our own valleys and mountains in our journey, and sometimes in our valley, God actually uses people to breathe life into us.
Just the other day I was going through some highs and lows of my own, and a patient was able to free his life to me. As I counseling my patient, he looks at me and tells me about his life journey. As we were talking, the patient stated “when I was a young man, I grew up in Mexico, Texas, and Chicago. I have been all over the country and thought I knew what a “real” man was. The definition of a real man was the leader of the gang or territory, a real macho man. But after 70 years of life, I can see the truth in people and what a real man is… You are the definition of a real man. A person that is comforting and just. A person who genuinely cares about those around him… his patients and his staff. For all the years that I have been here, you [Lynden] have shown nothing but the utmost respect for all you encounter. But I have witnessed you in the pharmacy and all you do and you have been the model of a true man. I am thankful that you have been here in. God placed you here in my life and in the life of others that you serve on a daily basis.” The patient then gave me a name, Papaito, young wise and of knowledge.
He grasped my hands and said the name several more times. He was confirming me and the place that I was in. He was “Embracing”, me in the time of need.
In the midst of our loneliness or in our isolation God will speak to us in the most profound yet gentle ways. Are you ready to listen?