Somewhere along life‘s journey it seems as though we can get two things in our heads:
- If we love and trust Jesus, we will never walk through hard places.
- This notion that tears are bad, the Father rejects our tears or that tears are something to be ashamed of.
As an Enneagram seven I’ve struggled my whole life with making sure my demeanor always brings joy. I took anything hard that came my way and shoved it way down deep because joy comes in the morning and everyday is a new morning right; why feel it when I can pretend everything’s great and everyone can be happy!? Sounds utopian! However I realized over the last year and a half that this way of life wasn’t authentic.
Because we live in a fallen and broken world we will face trials. BUT because we have a compassionate, kind, and good Father, we know that His heart breaks over the painful cries of His children. He weeps with the broken-hearted, and while He may never give us the answers to all of our questions, He also restores our souls.
Our tears are actually a gift from the Father. Giving space for real feelings and emotions actually deepens your intimacy with Him. Holding in our anger, hurt, and sorrow over a difficult situation in our lives breeds bitterness. Bitterness builds up and hardens our hearts. It begins to keep us from receiving His grace and merciful love that helps us to heal in these difficult seasons.
In the depths of the darkest nights of our souls, our guttural sobs are actually the prayers that move the heart of heaven. He catches every tear and in due time He pours His oil over our hearts and heals every deep place of pain.
In the darkest night of her soul Hannah cried out from a deep place of desperation and despair “and the Lord remembered her (v.19).”
-Haley S.