Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has been very good for me & has helped me immensely through these recent days of grieving for the losses of my dear sister-in-law, Holly, and a dear long-term friend/partner, Stan. I greatly appreciated Vroegop's approach, honesty, and transparency as he deftly takes readers through the solid biblical foundation of what prayers of lament mean and what purpose they have in a believer's life. We face the pains & difficulties of life's realities--and do so honestly, crying out Why? & How long? in anguish & personal pain--but we also do so with a great hope and with a growing trust in The One who is forever sovereign & is faithful & good. As he states:

"The practice of lament—the kind that is biblical, honest, and redemptive—...is a prayer. A statement of faith. Lament is the honest cry of a hurting heart wrestling with the paradox of pain and the promise of God’s goodness...lament is rooted in what we believe. It is a prayer loaded with theology. Christians affirm that the world is broken, God is powerful, and he will be faithful. Therefore, lament stands in the gap between pain and promise. To cry is human, but to lament is Christian."

Because it has been revealed to us WHO our God is and how much He cares for & loves us. Because we don't always understand His purposes & plans, but we have been learning how trustworthy & faithful He has been. Because even though this world is broken and we are puzzled & in pain, we can acknowledge those realities and be rightly saddened by them. Because if Jesus hadn't risen from the dead & broke the power of death-blazing the trail for us who believe in & follow Him--then we would only cry, to no avail, as all would be fleeting, meaningless, impermanent, and hopeless. But, alas, the cross & empty tomb have clearly demonstrated that a revolution in our eternal destinies has happened--and we have hope & can continue to grow in our trust of God our Father. Amen & Amen.


View all my reviews