One of the greatest American thinkers and writers was Ralph Waldo Emerson. He wrote a famous essay in 1841 entitled, “Self-Reliance.”
Towards the end of the work are these words: “At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I seek the Vatican and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson tried to escape what he called the giant of sadness through travel. He was unable to do it.
George Harrison sang, "Beware of sadness. It can hit you. It can hurt you. Make you sore and what is more, that is not what you are here for."
If you think about it, sadness can truly be a giant in our lives. A giant who is reluctant to leave us. A giant who sometimes will not let us go. Do you ever feel that way? I want you to know that you are not alone.
Jesus Christ knows what it feels like to be sad. The prophet Isaiah pointed to the coming Messiah with these words, “He is a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3)
I believe there is a word of hope for us in the midst of sadness. Here it is - - - God understands. He is very near to those who are struggling with this. The Psalmist wrote, “God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (147:3)
Today, if we are struggling with the giant of sadness, let’s turn our face to heaven and ask for God’s healing touch.