I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina where the imbedded code of manhood had various key principles such as…”Big Boys Don’t Cry”. As I have grown older, I have learned to appreciate tears.
Tears are a healthy way to release the pressure that builds up inside during times of stress, crisis, or grief. Experts tell us that is really therapeutic and healthy for us to cry. I had a conversation with a nurse that worked in a Intensive Care Unit at a Children’s Hospital about how she coped with the stress of her work. She told me that there were times she would feel overwhelmed. When that occurred she would go outside during her break time and just cry to let go of some the tension. It is almost like a whistling tea kettle that lets off steam. It is good to let go of some of the pressure that builds up inside of us. If you keep suppressing it inside you can develop health issues and or you can be explode like a emotional volcano with rage and anger. That hurts us and often times those around us, It is much better to release the pressure gradually rather than all at once.
Although it is important to have a healthy control of our emotions, there are exceptions… Jesus, who was fully God and fully man and yet he wept. The shortest verse in all the Bible is “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). The occasion was at the the death of His friend Lazarus, he wept even though He would later raise him from the dead. Think about that a minute, the Creator, Great Physician, the Savior cried when He was told of the death of Lazarus. Why? Because Jesus loved Lazarus and his family.
When we are hurting it is an opportunity to turn to God who loves us so much. Jesus loves and cares for you and me just as he did for Lazarus! The Bible also teaches us that the Lord is “near the broken hearted” (Psalm 34:18). One translation (Contemporary English Version) describes this verse: “The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.” When a child encounters hurt or pain, they will instictively run to an parent or grandparent who loves them, We are God’s children and we too should run to God our Heavenly Father who loves us so much.
Our tears are actually important to God. Psalm 56:8 (The Message Bible) states: ” You have kept track of my every toss and turn through sleepless nights. Each tear entered in Your ledger, each ache written in Your book.” You and I don’t have any idea about the number of tears we have cried through the years, but God does because He loves you and me. Tears remind us of our need for a loving God and that He is always there for us.So next time the tears come..let’s just Praise The Lord..let Him know what is on your mind and heart because He cares for you and me…