Tears..do not be afraid

Tears...why do they scare us?

I know as I have aged and hardened some with life's experiences, tears aren't frequent.  I used to cry when hearing a verse from a song or seeing a certain movie.  But now, it seems tears are drier.  The deepening of my soul still feels those moments of hurt, sadness, joy, questions of pain...but why no tears?

I don't have the answer, surprise!  I just know when I experience tears either alone or in community, the body seems to begin a healing process that mentally I strive for but can't always obtain with "mind over matter and positive thinking."  Tears are a stretching of the senses.  Jesus loves them; He even says "I keep your tears stored in a jar."

Ponder that...the creator of life.  The One who begins and ends time.  The One who at the sound of His voice calms seas, moves mountains and frees captives.  That One stores my tears, really.  How opposite from the society of modern everything screams..."Don't Cry Out Loud...Big boys don't cry...stop being a cry-baby."  Yet Christ, the One who claims us, chooses us, accepts us, forgives us, reaches to us and stays with us...stores our tears.

It makes me wonder, do we really have the cure?  The answer?  The quick fix?  We love solving problems and making the long road, shorter and more efficient.  Yet sometimes through the valley of death, we can only appreciate and experience peace that passes all knowledge.  Sometimes in the grieving, we can only celebrate the life.  In the fears, we can only experience the cleft of the rock and the new mercies.

Today there is light.  Light within us from a light which never dims or goes out.  A light that the world can see when we have no words.  More often that's the case.  So be silent, let your light shine.  Cry and let the waters from our tears be like flavourful salt to a bland emotions.  It takes courage to let tears flow; God can handle the vulnerability...He can use it to grow new sprouts.