As a young man, I dreamed of being called to lead a revival for God. I was inspired by my pastor, who had led a church that had multiplied from a medium-sized congregation to a congregation of over 6,000. I read stories of heroes of the faith who had led revivals: Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, DL Moody, and Billy Graham.

I prayed God would use me to lead. I dreamed of preaching to crowds and seeing many come to faith.

It was a long week. I felt sniped at by a handful of complaints from congregants. I was fighting for a spirit of gratitude as frustration grew in my heart. I stepped into a meeting and did my best to be present, but the inner critic’s voice was loud. I asked a simple question to kick things off: “Where is God growing you?” Tears welled in the eyes of the woman across from me. “New Life is my safe place, my growing place. New Life is my healing place. Every time I come to church, it feels like a hug.”

“Gracious words are like honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body” (Prov. 16:24).

A psalm of lament for those low in the trenches of local church leadership.

A Psalm of Benjamin While Resting in a Cave. To the seminary choirmaster. To the Tune of Do Not Destroy.

You see it, don’t you? A co-worker quietly losing their battle with alcoholism. A cousin whose marriage and family are unraveling. A friend struggling under the weight of a debilitating eating disorder. Pain is everywhere. People are hurting all around us.

If we are able to glimpse even a fraction of the world’s pain, can you imagine what Jesus saw? For any one of us, such suffering would be overwhelming. Yet, what was Jesus’ response to a world filled with the “harassed and helpless”?