My mom and I have always cried easily. When my Dad died our world was rocked! It was a shock and my dad was a very young 79 year old! I was blessed to be able to attend church with my parents, my brothers family and my family. I saw my parents every day. My dad and I were very close.
I have noticed through the years that tears of joy came after God softened my heart. Prior to my Dad giving himself 100% to Jesus, I never saw him cry but after that he could tear up at anything. He was just so grateful! What a wonderful gift to be able to cry, especially when you are so overcome with joy! There are many people who cannot cry and I feel sorry for them. I believe God gave us tears. I always feel better after "a good cry!' That may be a southern saying!
I said at Dad's funeral that church and Christmas would be two of my hardest times without Dad. He and I loved Christmas and would be up hours before everyone else. In all the pictures everyone looked rough but not dad and I. We had been up for hours and had showers and were dressed! My heart aches on Christmas mornings now. Every Sunday morning my heart ached also. I would give myself a talk before I got to church about how I was not going to "lose it" that morning.
I would do fine until the music started and I opened my mouth to sing. I would start crying and could not stop. The first few months I could hardly hold it together. I needed to just sit and sob. I was always embarrassed by my tears. That is until I read about tears. Tears must come out for healing. I learned that my eyes took over my voice. When I could not speak my eyes flowed. I learned that tears are liquid prayers.
There are tears of compassion. John 11: 35, "Jesus wept." (The shortest verse in the Bible.)
Tears of pain and suffering. 2 Kings 20: 5, “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord.
Tears of joy. Genesis 33: 4, "But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept."
Tears of desperation. Esther 4: 1, 3, "When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes."
Tears of agony or labor. Isaiah 42: 14, "For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant."
Tears of repentance. Joel 2: 12-13, "Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Luke 7: 38, "As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them."
Charles Spurgeon said, "Let us learn to think of tears as liquid prayers; and of weeping as a constant dropping of intercession which will wear its way right surely into the very heart of mercy, despite the stony difficulties which obstruct the way." He also called the tears the sacred keys by which the sealed book was opened. I do believe that tears fulfill a purpose in spiritual growth. It is then that we have a suffering spirit. Through tears we give him our all. We give Him our true self....not just what others see. God honors that kind of honesty and passion. During this time the Holy Spirit can cover us with love and forgiveness, strength, wisdom or peace....whatever we are needing.
Tears are known as the language of the soul. If tears are turned to God then He will use them. Man may be ashamed of tears but God treasures them. Psalm 56: 8, "You keep track of my misery. Put my tears in your leather container! Are they not recorded in your scroll?" God considers our tears an offering as he sees them as love letters from our heart to His. Our tears are treasures in heaven representing our brokenness and surrender to Him. God will not forget the sorrow of His people.
When we get to Heaven there will be no more need for tears. Revelation 21: 4, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
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