By Faith Kemmler, Director of Children's & Family Ministry

Grief, lament, and sorrow are unavoidable aspects of the human experience. But we know that our God is walking alongside us, ready to listen to all we have to say. Practicing lament as a family helps children and adults process difficult times and situations. Use the following questions to guide your family in lamenting:

1. What are the things that threaten the health and well-being of our family/friends/selves? What things are you afraid will hurt you/our family/friends?
2. What stories about God’s actions in the past relate to these concerns? Can you think of any stories from the Bible in which God dealt with a problem like this?
3. How did God deal with the threat or problem in these stories? What did God do to fix the problem?
4. What do you want God to do about these threats or problems? Let’s imagine how God could fix this.
5. How can we be a part of God’s solution? What would God want us to do to help?
6. Write a prayer together based on your answers to these questions.
7. Revisit your conversation and prayer as many times as you need.

Lamenting can be used for problems big or small. This biblical practice not only reminds us of God’s presence in our lives but also that God cares, can handle all of our feelings, and wants to actively walk with us. Though it may be difficult to think about lamenting the world’s problems, teaching our families this skill and practice will provide them with the tools they need to navigate life’s struggles.