Letters To God

Lord, you have examined me and know all about me.”
Psalm 139:1

For several weeks I had noticed a change in my son’s behavior. He was quick to become angry over the smallest issue. His tone was gruff; his responses were snappy, and plagued with a very a-typical teenager moody disposition.

The other day I felt it was time to deal with issue, so I called him in  for another one of our mother-son-God conversations. These conversations are usually labored and one-sided. I talk and he listens. Occasionally he injects a word or two, to make the chat real interesting.

I sensed his rude responses and moodiness were closely tied to trapped anger and decided to get right to the heart of the matter by directing the dialogue to deal with possible roots of the anger.  As I probed and prodded the air between us became increasingly tense. Finally, he blurted out, “I hate dad’s job! He has to be gone all the time.” The tension in the air was quickly cut by silence.

There it was. The poisonous toxin released. The words hung in the air.

The release of the anger gave me the opportunity to explain to my vulnerable and very impressionable 13-year-old the value of his father’s job but more importantly the significance of releasing pinned-up emotions. It was when I suggested writing a letter to God about his feelings he made the conversation interesting by injecting a thought-provoking question, “Why should I write or talk to God about my emotions? He already knows everything.”

I replied, “God does know everything, Griffin. The releasing of pinned-up emotions is not for God, it is for us. God is the only one who can heal the hurt our pinned-up emotions have caused. When he heals anger turns to joy.” Then I asked a question making the conversation even more interesting, “Do you want to be angry whole life?”

Maybe you can easily identify with Griffin. Perhaps you are not angry but you are bitter, broken, or bewildered. Is your heart a museum filled with emotional tapestries? Might I suggest: write God a letter. Yes, He already knows everything but He is only one who is able to replace the pinned-up pain with pictures of hope.