Some days are harder than others. Some are even harder still. Lately, there are more of the latter. Putting it all into words is difficult. All I know is that these days are full of tears.
There was a time when I couldn’t cry. The pain in my heart was so deep, it practically surpassed the place where my tears lived. I wanted to cry, but I think I felt numb. Sometimes, I wish I was numb once again. Crying takes a lot of energy (and makes my eyes puff up!)
I know I’m not the only one to bring my tears before God. I can’t imagine the ocean of tears that is brought before Him on a daily basis. But, as I write, I am reminded that how we bring our tears before God can determine how we move through the pain that causes them.
In Luke, Chapter 7, verses 36 through 50, we read about the woman who came and washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them away with her hair. She then anointed him with the precious perfume of her alabaster jar. The Pharisees were appalled, as they knew her only to be a sinful woman. But, Jesus looked at her tearful offering to be one of pure love and adoration. And, he said to her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”(v. 50, NLT)
There is so much to unpack in the entire passage. However, I’m feeling led to concentrate on the last verse. I will reiterate it to help us really grasp a hold of its truth: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
First, let’s look at the woman’s offering. She offered him not only her most prized, worldly possession, the perfume in the alabaster jar, but she offered him something even more precious – her tears.
The world often looks at weeping as a sign of weakness. Even in our closest relationships, tears come when we are hurt, whether by word or deed. Our tears come forth in times of physical pain, emotional trauma and even burn hot when we are angry. Tears of joy seem to be rarer still, but if we consider this woman’s offering, we can see that her tears flowed from an incredible place deep within her soul.
Tears for the pain from the work that never seemed to end. Tears for the wounded emotions resulting from her own choices and at the cruel words others had hurled at her. Tears for the anger that raged within her as she listened to the world trying to define her. Tears for the joy at meeting her Savior, and tears for the gratitude at hearing Him say, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
You and I shed tears for many of the same reasons. Sometimes, we choose to let them fall, and at other times, we wish we could keep them hidden. We must remember, however, that our tears are never hidden from God. He actually values them!
Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
It’s an incredible thought, isn’t it? Each tear we cry is precious to our Heavenly Father; so precious, in fact, that He collects and records every one.
And, what does He do with them? He counts them as our faith offering and extends to us His peace in exchange.
As hard as it is to fathom, when we cry out to God and we offer Him the substance of our tears, He shows us that we can come to Him with our burdens and exchange them for His peace. Does He not tell us, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT)
Our tears represent our burdens, the things that weigh us down and keep us from moving forward. Instead of offering my tears to Jesus, I have held on to them too tightly, bottling them up by the gallon. It seems as if the more I cry, the more I hold on to the things my tears represent.
But, that is not what I’m supposed to do with my tears. No matter what caused them to form, I am to run to the feet of Jesus and pour them out as an offering, exchanging the pain for the peace and love of my Savior.
I’m not saying this process is going be easy. It takes faith to lay down your pain. It takes faith to trust God for the exchange. Even so, if I can give Him one tear at a time, that, my friend, will still be progress, for my sorrow will eventually become joy.
“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”(Psalm 126:5-6, NLT)
