"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." Psalm 126: 5-6
You can tell it's going to be a rotten day when
- you call suicide prevention and they put you on hold.
- you put your bikini top on backward and it fits better.
- your blind date turns out to your ex-boyfriend.
But just remember, every flower that ever bloomed had to go through a whole lot of dirt to get there! And with the dirt, a lot of watering was needed.
Scientific research indicates that tears - real, wet, human tears - may be the body's mechanism for flushing away harmful chemicals produced during stress. A study at Harvard University showed that people who cried more in response to grief were less likely to suffer heart attacks after losing a loved one. (Previous studies showed that the risk of suffering a heart attack after such a loss is fourteen times greater than normal.) Imagine: tears can break the chain of chemical events that lead to heart disease and brain damage.
Crying is the only physiological process experienced by humans that animals do not share. Crying tears makes us human in the finest sense of the word. Doctors now say shedding tears is one of the most effective performances of the human body. And there are many uneducated people who know the therapeutic value of a good old-fashioned cry: sobbering, wailing, howling, just letting it all out.
You don't have to grin and bear it. You don't have to be holier-than-thou, keeping up a "spiritual" front that equates tears with weakness and doubt. Now, scientists now confirm what the Bible has said for thousands of years: tears are God's gift to his precious children. When we cry, we allow our bodies to function according to God's design - and we embrace one of the "perks" he offers to relieve our stress.
Someone said, "God will accept a broken heart, but he must have all the pieces." As he stitches those pieces back together, the moisture of tears softens and makes flexible his strong thread of healing in our lives. Big wet tears are part of the rich human experience. The people who weep unashamed are the same ones who live and love with their whole heart and soul. Those who mourn are those who have allowed themselves to feel real feelings because they care about other people.
Do you realize what a gift it is to feel, even if it hurts? Many people do not allow themselves the privilege of being happy or sad. Some think courage is synonymous with stoicism. But God does not hand out medals for not crying. King David wrote in Psalm 34:4: I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears (not tears)."
I have a friend who cried buckets of tears through a divorce. She struggled with rage and anger, then felt guilty about her feelings. Her prayers most often consisted of simply releasing her pain by crying it out. During one such deluge of tears, she realized the rage she felt toward her ex-husband's betrayal was a reflection of how deeply she had loved him. Her tears dissolved her guilt. They were a vehicle to accept and then release honest emotion.
Sometimes allowing yourself to cry is the scariest thing you'll ever do. And the bravest. It takes a lot of courage to face the facts, stare loss in the face, bare your heart, and let it bleed. But it is the only way to cleanse your wounds and prepare them for healing. God will take care of the rest.
"Joy Breaks"
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