Lament with me. How you can do this with water instead of ashes.

Hello! I wanted to share a personal experience. First of all, this is not to draw attention to myself!!! However, I did something a few days ago which I had never done before. (waves hand) I know we all have a lot going on right now that is difficult to face, especially when you look at everything happening here in America and overseas. There is huge division in America, war in Ukraine and other places, famine, political warfare, and sex trafficking all over the world. I’m sure all of us have difficult events in our personal lives and those challenges within. Sometimes we pray, those of us who do, and pray and pray. Often times I felt like I wanted to do more. My heart was prompted to do more. Then God gave me an idea, and I wanted to share it with you to encourage, uplift and give you hope. I realized that throughout the Bible that people would lament, grieve, and mourn by kneeling in sack clothes with ash around them. They would bow and lament (cry out to God), pouring ashes onto their head repeatedly as they lamented. The symbolism is that the ashes (and dust) on the head (not just forehead) is a sign of grief, mourning, and rock bottom hurting to cry to God. Of course I didn’t have ashes, but what I did was go to the bath tub and started a hot bath. As I was in there, I bowed and cried out to God about everything while scooping the HOT water onto my head repeatedly for a long time while groaning to God. What is groaning? Romans 8:26 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (asl CL) Sometimes we are at a loss for words and when that happens… offer your heart to God and just groan. When your heart is utterly broken and lamenting with your voice and hands doesn’t seem to be sufficient, you can do what I did with the hot water, or use something else as symbolic ashes to cover yourself with. It was a very cathartic exercise for me and truly helped unburden my weary soul.
Here are some Scriptures you can read and ponder which speak to this issue of using ashes as we mourn:
Esther 4:1
When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly.
2 Samuel 13:19
Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.
Jonah 3:6
When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes.
Jeremiah 6:26
O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth And roll in ashes; Mourn as for an only son, A lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.
Daniel 9:3
So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
Now, let me leave you with a final thought which is very encouraging! Isaiah 61:3 tells us that…
{He will} provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Our loving God hears our groaning and lamentations! He will make all things beautiful in His perfect timing. What others may have meant for evil against us, He will use for good. So, bring your worries, concerns, and struggles to Him, and He will make beauty from the ashes.
🙏🤠