Lord, listen to my cries. Don’t turn away from me in my time of distress.” Psalm 102:1-2a

Happy Friday everyone! Imagine that you are taking a walk with your child in your neighborhood. Suddenly your child trips, falls and begins to cry. That cry is what is known as an emotional bid. It’s an action that is indicating a want, a need for attention. There are emotional bids all around us each and every day. The question is, how will we respond?

In the scenario with your child falling down? Imagine that your response is this, “Oh, sweetheart, don’t cry. Look, it’s such a beautiful day. The birds are singing and the sun is shining. Let’s enjoy this moment.” That type of response is known as turning away. With such a response, you are turning away from the emotional bid. Turning away as a constant response can have harmful repercussions in the life of a child.

Being heard is part of healthy communication. It provides acknowledgment, inclusion, understanding, and healing. In Psalm 102, we read these words, “Lord, listen to my cries. Don’t turn away from me in my time of distress.” Well, here’s the good news. He doesn’t and He won’t. At the sound of your cries, and in the middle of your distress, the Lord hears you and is tuned in to your needs.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You that as we discover our needs and we make cries out to You, You don’t turn away. Instead, You turn towards us and You respond with love and mercy and a listening ear. Thank You for such a loving response to our emotional bids. Would You help us this weekend to do the same for those around us? We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.