Oh God, you are my God! I seek you!
I am feeling heavy and tired,
I am troubled and empty.
From this place of pain I cry out to you!
I have never felt so sad,
I am totally overwhelmed,
I am facing despair.
People around me say,
“You’ll feel better tomorrow.”
They say I lack faith,
they are irritated with me and say,
“Pull yourself together!”
I hear the other voices of people saying
“Stupid, idiot, dumb, birdbrain.”
I call out to you because nobody else understands me,
nobody cares for me but you.
I can’t move, I feel paralyzed.
I need your help!
If I don’t receive your help,
I have no reason to live.
I can’t go on living like this.
Oh, you are my God, you are with me!
You hold me, you encourage me,
you are the one who is there for me at rock bottom.
Jesus weeps in the garden with me.
Jesus knows what it is like to feel forsaken.
My God is mighty to save,
God touches me and makes me whole.
Were you there for me?
Yes, you were!
You say to me,
“Come unto me all you who labour and are heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest.”
You have plans for me,
plans for good and not for evil.
You give me a hope and purpose.
I will always praise you,
for you are my God,
my Rock and my Redeemer.
[This Psalm came out of an exercise in a peer support group for people with mental illness.]
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.