When viewed under a microscope, tears form unique, crystalline patterns that look like aerial landscapes, with the specific shape depending on the type of tear.
One day I was doing some research on tears, specifically, I was preparing a sermon for my church (likely a long the lines of the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears), I came across an image which had four separate images of tears and under each had the “why” that caused those tears.
One was sadness, one was happiness, one was pain, and one was caused by cutting an onion.
I then began to look for scriptures which spoke about tears in scripture, outside of the woman mentioned above, and came across Psalm 56:8 “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?”
I was immediately overwhelmed by this reality. David made a statement to God, which alluded to an understanding that God collects our tears!
Tears speak more about what our hearts feel than any words could ever express.
I remember and still have many times in my Christian walk, even in regular life, that all I could do was cry. I had no words. They failed me. I couldn’t make sense of the thoughts that I was thinking nor of the emotions I was feeling. All I could do was weep. The anguish of my soul manifested itself through the tears which flowed down my face.
Often afterward I would have a new perspective of what was going on and felt better.
Tears are a language that God understands! He sees our tears, what causes our tears, and how long we will have to cry those tears before joy comes! All the while, He is moved by what troubles us and already has the solution.
One of my favorite verses which I learned during my time at OBI (my Bible seminary days) is, Psalm 34:6 “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”
We can insert our names. We do cry, we groan in anguish, despair bellows from the deepest parts of our being and yet God hears and responds!
What a comfort it is to know that God understands our tears.
A greater comfort is found in Revelation 21:4. Its a promise that our tears will not last forever – “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Rev. 21:4).
One day those bottles will be poured out. Erased. Never more remembered! We will look on our savior’s face and perfect peace, love, and joy will flood over us, washing away every remembrance of the tears shed and the reasons they existed in the first place!
Today, direct your cries unto God, He will hear them, be present, and responds to them for our benefit.
THE LAMPLIGHTERS PROJECT 