the gift of tears

Lord, when I am blind with weeping, lift my eyes to you.

It is true that you don’t have to weep physically in order to weep spiritually but if you haven’t had a good cry in a while, pray God graces you with the experience soon. The soul unable to weep is likely petrified. The body takes its cues from the soul, so seek the gift of tears. Crying is the best way to quicken your spirit. It ensures you are still alive and feeling. Robots have no feeling; humans do. We were made to be human; remember to be so.

And don’t roll your eyes and scoff. Jesus himself said, “Blessed are those who mourn…” Even God cannot comfort those who need no comfort.

Why mourn? This is an unpopular request to make, is it not? Mourn because your life depends on it. The person that has no regrets, no cause to weep over innocence lost, is no wiser than a cow awaiting slaughter.

I have met people who rarely weep physically, but they do have a heart that rightly understands their own need. They are aware of their own imperfection and lament inside. I have also met people who are the opposite. I liken them to someone who is unaware that there is a bleeding boil on their backside threatening infection. If you could only be one of these, ask to be the first.

If you discover you are afraid to mourn because you don’t want to turn into someone who is always down-in-the-mouth, don’t worry; Jesus won’t let you become too overcome with sadness—because whenever he sees someone who is down-and-out (as we all are, whether we realize it or not!), he comes to us and lifts our head to see his smile. He is pleased with us and takes us just as we are.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. -Matthew 5:4