Grief

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Gladness and joy
have been taken away
from the fruitful land of Moab;
I have made the wine cease
from the wine presses;
no one treads them
with shouts of joy;
the shouting is not
the shout of joy.
[Jeremiah 48:33]
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"I'm depressed, Lord."

[NOD.]

"Oh, forget it!
What do YOU care?"

[PATIENT SILENCE.]

"Huh? I bet You're
not even up There!"

"No, child.
I'm right here."

"No, You're NOT;
I bet You're off
in that new solar system -
or, whatever it is."

"Which is that, child."

"I don't KNOW;
isn't there some sort'a
new cloud of dust
swirling around,
somewhere?
They say it could be
another earth."

"Ah, I see."

"So? What are 'Ya:
like, spending all
Your time, out THERE?
(nod)
You haven't been
anywhere
NEAR earth!"

"I'm listening, child."

"Well, FORGET it.
I'm ain't TALKIN'!"

[SILENCE.]

(silence)
(more silence)
"SO?
WELL?
What do You have
to say for YourSELF?
HUH?"

"Read My Word, child."

"But, WHY?
Those guys don't
have nothin' to do
with ME!"

"Which ones, child?"

"Eh.....I don't KNOW!
ALL of 'em!"

"Look."

"Okay: so, what
about SOLOMON?
He never
got DEPRESSED!
Didn't he have,
like, all those palaces
and riches, and
whatnot?"

[SOLEMN NOD.]

"Neah; I don't
believe it.
Okay, here's
somethin':

So I became great
and surpassed all who were
before me in Jerusalem....
....I kept my heart from
no pleasure.......
Then I considered all
that my hands had done......
and behold, all was vanity
and a striving after the wind,
and there was nothing
to be gained under the sun.
[Ecclesiastes 2:9-11]

(silence)
Yeah; I guess he
did get down.....
I guess.
That's
kinda' weird, Lord."

"What, child."

"Well, You know.....
everybody thinks
THEY'RE the only
ones who, like,
EVER get
depressed."

[NOD.]

"So what should I do, Lord?"

[SILENCE.]

"I've been, like,
REALLY down."

"Read My Word, child."

"What PART?"

"All of It."
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Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth
I call to Thee,
when my heart is faint.
[Psalms 61:1]

For God alone
my soul waits in silence;
from Him
comes my salvation.
[Psalms 62:1]

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