A Lament for the Death of a Dream

Grief over what isn't and trust in the God who controls what is.

I did not know how much I hoped
in this dream until it died,
But if my God is good and in control
Then all these tears I’ve cried
They are watering, the seeds planted inside of me
And fruit produced in season
Will need pruned, weeded, and watering.

And my good God
Is
good
To me.

So instead of grasping tightly
To a dream I must let go,
I will grieve the plans of my human hands
And hold a funeral.
These tears are filled with pain
But they are also filled with hope.
Because my God is good,
Holy and Just, and all-powerful.

So to My Dream,
Rest in Peace,
I lay you down
at the feet
of The Giver of
all good things.
Who over & over
Proves Himself to me.

So with a hopeful grief,
And with a great relief,
My human plans
From human hands
I will humbly release.

Goodbye, My Dream,
though you seemed sweet.
You are not what is good for me.
My good God knows what I need.

…
Funerals
5.28.23

Many times in life, God says a clear no to something we’ve prayed for.
In the summer of 2023, I got three very final “no”s for things I’ve been praying for faithfully for myself and for others. Good things, but a good God has withheld them from us. So I wrote this as a lament for when dreams die, and you need to grieve them and then lay them down as the feet of a perfect and good God who cares for you. I added it to the New Year Reflection because so many of us are entering 2024 with sadness at what did or didn’t happen in 2023.

Open your hands, shed your tears, and then witness what beautiful things the Gardener is growing.

Please share with folks who could use a liturgy to point them to a Good God even when He answers no.