In our "fairy-tale" world, we absolutely love it when we and those around us live "happily ever after." We want happy endings, resolution, and tension relived. In terms of Lamentations, we would much prefer the book to end with Lamentations 3:22-24 with words of hope, covenant faithfulness and mercy. However, instead of ending there, the book goes on for 2 more chapters of lament over the brutal fall of Jerusalem. Although this may feel like a dreary ending as the book limps to a close, it is actually quite helpful to spotlight certain areas and themes that we tend to not handle very well. As we walk through the final 2 chapter of the book of Lamentations, we will hopefully recapture the value of repetition, repentance, and delay. Some things are too important to move past quickly.